MASTER 

NEGATIVE 

NO.  94-8231 7-2 


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Author: 


Belding,  Albert  G. 


Commercial 
correspondence 

Place: 

New  York 

Date: 

[1 905] 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DIVISION 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MICROFORM  TARGET 

ORIGINAL  MATERIAL  AS  FILMED  -  EXISTING 


MASTER  NEOATIVE  # 


247.5 
Ml 


Belding,  Albert  0  187(X-  Mli^^ 

...  Commercial  correspondence,  by  Albert  G.  Belding 
. . .   New  York,  Ciuciuuati  letc]  American  book  company 

152  p.  iad.  illus,  forms.  21°°'.  (William  &  Rogers  series) 


1. 


Correspondence.      i.  Title. 


Library  of  Congress 
Copyright  A  122416 


o 


HF5726.B42 


S--29SS0 


RESTRICTIONS  ON  USE:  

TECHNICAL  MICROFORM  DATA 


FILM  SIZE:     jfym  REDUCTION  RATIO:       IQX  IMAGE  PLACEMENT:  lA  IB  ilB 


DATE  FILMED:  INITIALS:  U/-V^ 

TRACKING  #  :  Aljjy 


FILMED  BY  PRESERVATION  RESOURCES,  BETHLEHEM,  PA. 


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WILLIAMS  &  ROGERS  SERIES 


COMMERCIAL 
CORRESPONDENCE 

* 

BY 

ALBERT  G.  BELDING 

HIGH  SCHOOL  OP  COiniMCl,  NEW  TOKK  CflT 


NEW  YORK  •:•  CINCINNATI  .;•  CHICAGO 

CAN  BOOK  COMPANY 


AM/ERI 


CofWBOiiTf  1905*  " 

AMERICAN  BOOK  COMPANY. 

Emtkrbd  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London. 


nLDUW't  COM.  GOBUS. 


w.  P.  a 


3  A-\ 


PREFACE 


The  methods  of  the  business  man  in  the  management  of 

his  affairs,  and  the  methods  of  the  teacher  in  conducting  classes 
composed  of  those  who  are  in  pursuit  of  a  commercial  educa- 
tion, are  not  and  can  not  be  the  same.  They  are,  however, 
closely  related,  for  the  theory  and  practice  of  modem  business 
supply  the  material  upon  which  the  attention  of  teacher  and 
student  alike  is  concentrated.  As  business  practice  changes 
and  advances,  the  end  to  be  sought  in  teaching  must  also 
change  and  advance.  The  teaching  should  be  made  more 
and  more  a  specific  preparation  for  the  conditions  existing 
in  the  commercial  world,  and  no  effort  can  rightly  be  spared 
that  will  tend  to  make  this  preparation  thoroughly  compre^ 
hensive  and,  at  the  same  time,  give  it  the  greatest  possible 
semblance  of  reality.  The  student  should  be  called  upon 
to  meet  actual  problems  in  the  way  in  which  they  must  be 
met  in  actual  business,  and  he  should  be  made  to  feel  that 
this  is  exactly  what  he  is  doing  when  he  undertakes  the  ex- 
ercises in  a  text-book  on  correspondence :  these  exercises 
should  seem  to  him  pertinent  and  vital.  With  this  end  in 
,  view,  the  forms  and  exercises  in  this  book  have  been  taken 
'  from  actual  correspondence  and  from  real  conditions  often 

>  encountered  in  a  great  variety  of  busmess  pursuits.  And  it 
j  is  especially  with  this  end  in  view  that  the  narrative  of  con- 

secutive  incidents  connected  with  the  correspondence  of  a 
^  single  business  enterprise  has  been  given  in  Chapter  XIV. 

The  exercises  based  upon  these  incidents  gain  significance 
?  land  definiteness  from  correlated  transactions  and  from  the 

.poUcy  involved  in  the  conduct  of  the  business  as  a  whole. 

>  But  the  exigencies  of  teaching  can  never  be  made  exactly 

^         '  37S694 


4 


PREFACE 


to  correspond  to  the  exigencies  of  ccmimerdia  life.   The  ueeds 
S  the  cLs  room  are  fundamentally  different  from  those  of 
the  office,  and  any  attempt  to  substitute  for  pedagogic  prm- 
dpl^a  mere  uncUrected  clerical  routine  obviously  mfases  Ae 
Scter's  most  important  opportunity  -  that  of  gu.dmg  the 
stodent  from  the  simple  to  the  difficult  ^^^^^^^^^J'^' 
a  logical  sequence.   The  arrangement  of  the  subjects  treated 
ViTho^  has.  therefore,  been  based  upon  Uie  order  wh^h 
has  ^  found  to  be  best  adapted  to  the  needs  of  classroom 
torlTlfter  each  topic,  detached  exercises  have  been  given 
to  Ulustrate  and  impress  the  special  usage  ^  Pn^^iple  in 
Ls^ion  upon  the  memory  of  the  student.    These  may  m  a 
way  be  considered  merely  preparatory  to  the  ^^^-^^ 
ZcY.  the  significance  of  each  exercise  >s  "ece^arUy  m^e 
complete  on  account  of  its  coordination  with  others  of  a  dif 

'^l  l"tid  in  some  other  place,  appear  .tte. 
taken  from  actual  correspondence  to  exemphfy  faults  whwdi 
"^t  is  to  avoid;  to  distinguish  these  from  properly 
written  letters,  they  have  been  put  into  smaller  type. 

Evei^^ort  h^  been  made  to  bring  the  subject-matter  up 
to  datr  Typewritten  forms  have  been  inserted,  smce  type- 
:^ttii  lettis  are  now  universally  used 
spondence.  except  in  letters  of  appUcatron.  ^"^'■^^"'^^J^"'  ^^^^ 
recommendation.  The  chapters  on  the  Wording  of  a  L^^ 
S^ntract  Relations  of  Correspondents,  and  Handling  C«re^ 
jTatnce  have  been  written  with  the  pracUce  -thods^ 

pUressive  ^ "^^^f  dL^TS  to  I^^^^^ 
<;inns  though  nccessanly  bnel,  are  aesigncu  tu 
sl^eul  s  invest,  besidel  adding  to  his  general  information  on 
the  usages  of  ciHiimercial  life. 


1 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

1.  Introduction  ^ 

II.  The  Parts  of  a  Letter   12 

The  Heading  13 

The  Introductory  Address   16 

The  Salutation   ^ 

The  Body  of  a  Letter   ,4 

The  Comidimentaiy  Close  .      .      .      .      •            •  25 

The  Signature   27 

Exercises       /  16,23,31 

in.   The  Wording  of  a  Letter  .      .      .      .      .      •      •  33 

IV.  Folding  and  addressing  Letters  46 

Exercises  

V.  Letters  ordering  Goods  

Exercises  ,      .      ^      •  $9 

VI.   Remittances  and  Incloi^es  61 

Exercises  

VII.  Credits  and  Collections  73 

Exercises  •      .  80 

VIII.  Letters  of  Application  

Exercises   ,88 

IX.  Letters  of  Introduction  and  Recommendation     .      .  89 

Exercises  ^,^^5 

X.  Form  Letters 

Exercises       .      .      .  ,qj 

XI.  Telegrams  and  Cablegrams      .      •      .      .      ,  .104 
Exercises   .      •      .  107 

5 


I 


6  CONTEmrS 

XII.  Contract  Relations  of  CoRRESiONDENTS  .      •      .      .  wo 

XIII.  HAHDUHG  OMllUMONmOICE  "2 

XIV.  Correspondence  for  Practice  .133 

The  Narrative  of  Transactions  '^2 

Ezmsses  baaed  on  the  Narrative       •  • 

XV.   Postal  Information   •  • 

iMon   «5i 

f 


1 


!i 

1 ; 


COMMERCIAL  CORRESPONDENCE 


I.  INTRODUCTION 

It  is  bard  to  averestimate  the  great  and  increasing  importance 

of  correspondence,  not  only  as  perhaps  the  foremost  factor  ia  ^ 
the  development  and  maintenance  of  large  business  enterprises, 
but  also  as  a  means  of  expression  indispensable  to  every  indi-  / 
vidual  who  aims  at  success  socially  or  financially  in  the  modem 
worldi  Letter  writing  is  no  longer  merely  the  elegant  acquisi- 
tion of  those  who  have  leisure  and  taste;  it  is  coming  to  be, 
through  the  world-wide  expansion  of  the  post,  a  necessity  second 
only  to  the  power  of  speech.    To-day  every  one  needs  to  write  , 
letters  some  time  or  other.    Through  the  medium  of  the  steam- ^ 
ship,  the  railroad,  the  cable,  telegraph,  and  telephone,  new  fields  . 
of  industry  and  opportunity  have  been  opened  in  remote  places, 
and  old  fields  of  labor  have  been  reawakened  by  a  stimulating 
competition  coming  from  without.    Through  the  newspapers 
every  man  can  make  himself  acquainted  with  what  the  workl 
is  accomplishing,  and  if  he  would  take  part  in  the  general 
progress,  he  must  communicate  with  other  men  in  other  pla<^, 
making  known  his  needs,  as  well  as  his  ability  and  resources. 
If  he  has  a  thing  to  sell,  he  can  no  longer,  with  hope  of  broadenA; 
ing  success,  look  solely  to  the  naturally  restricted  home  mar-  \ 
ket;  if  he  has  powers  and  talents  to  use,  he  can  no  longer  f 
be  satisfied  to  use  them  solely  in  the  narrow  circle  of  his  own 
community.    The  mail  opens  to  him  the  wished-for  opportun- 
ity, the  profitable  market    Hence  the  immense  importance  of  J 
being  abje  to  use  this  great  medium  of  expansion  and  success 
rightly. 

f 


g  INTRODUCTION 

However,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  most  men  in  business  are 
keenly  aware  of  the  indisputable  advantages  of  letter  writing  as 
a  means  of  communication,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  may 
use  the  mails  most  extensively  in  conducting  the  greater  part  of 
their  business,  there  are  to-day  deplorably  few,  comparatively, 
ttiat  write  good  letters  and  use  the  mails  intelUgently. 

A  man  may  rea;iize  the  imp<Nrtaiice  of  esUblisbing  commer- 
cial  relations  by  means  of  correspondence  with  a  person  a  thou- 
sand  mUes  away,  but  very  often  he  may  not  properly  realize 
the  importance  of  making  each  letter  of  such  correspondence  a 
clear,  adequate,  and,  if  need  be,  elegant  expression  of  his  own 
desires,  or  he  may  be  completely  ignorant  of  the  regulations 
governing  the  handUng  of  the  mails.    He  forgets,  for  instance, 
that  a  letter  of  application  will  not  win  a  place  for  him,  or  that 
a  letter  offering  goods  will  not  sell  them,  unless  — and  here 
enters  the  whole  problem  of  good  correspondence  —  the  letter 
is  so  written  that  it  will  instantly  impress  the  receiver  as  the 
product  of  intelligence  and  experience.     To  do  this,  it  must 
be  an  exampk  of  excellent  writing  as  far  as  the  mere  use  of 
language  goes ;  it  must  show  a  firm  grasp  of  the  business  pro- 
posed, if  it  is  a  letter  soUciting  custom;  it  must  show  aptitude 
and  power  in  the  direction  in  question,  if  it  is  an  appUcation ; 
it  must  be  straightforward,  concise,  and  courteous ;  and  it  must 
also  conform  to  the  best  usage  m  the  minor  details  of  form 
and  appearance,  which,  though  they  attract  Httle  notice  when 
properly  attended  to,  become  glaring  evidence  of  carelessness 
or  ignorance  when  neglected. 

A  clear  knowledge  of  the  laws  and  possibilities  of  the  mail 
service  is  no  less  necessary.  Thousands  of  letters  every  week 
in  this  country  alone  are  misdirected,  and  a  still  greater  num- 
ber  are  heW  for  postage.  The  people  of  the  United  States 
seem  to  expect  the  post  office  authorities  to  find  any  address 
without  delay,  even  though  the  envelope  directions  are  inade- 
quate or  inexact.  A  large  part  of  the  people  place  implicit 
confidence  in  the  safety  of  the  ordinary  mail  and  the  unswerv- 
ing honesty  of  the  post  office  officials  down  to  the  last  clerk  and 
letter  carrier.    There  is  no  doubt  of  the  wonderful  efficiency 


IMPORTANCE  OF  CORRESPONDENCE 


and  prevailing  honesty  of  the  very  great  majority  of  those  who 
have  to  do  with  the  collection,  forwarding,  and  distribution  of 
the  mails,  but  it  is  unreasonable  to  look  for  perfection  in  so 
large  an  organization.  In  spite  of  the  repeated  attempts  of 
the  post  office  department  to  show  the  dai^er  involved,  people 
continue  to  send  so  much  money  and  other  valuables  in  ordinary, 
unregistered  letters  and  packages  that  thousands  of  dollars  are 
lost  in  this  way  every  year.  Nor  is  it  the  writer  alone  who 
suffers  as  a  result  of  shortcomings  in  this  direction.  The  loss 
or  inconvenience  is  almost  always  twofold,  the  addressee  inde^ 
being  sometimes  the  principal  sufferer.  And  obviously  such 
inconvenience  or  loss  to  the  receiver  of  a  letter,  through  the 
carelessness  or  ignorance  of  the  sender,  can  not  be  conducive  to 
further  and  more  profitable  business  relations. 

It  is,  then,  of  the  highest  importance  for  every  one,  whether 
still  a  student  or  actively  engaged  in  the  affairs  of  business  life, 
to  be  able  to  write  letters  correctly,  and  to  carry  on  correspond- 
ence with  ease  and  precision.  It  is  the  object  of  this  book  to 
make  available  the  knowledge  required  for  this  purpose. 

« 


Heading  \ 


(  Writer^s  post  office  address 


Date 


Addressee'ii  name  and  title 


Addicsaee^  ackiieM  i 


Salutation 


m 


o 


Q 
O 

m 

Complimentary  Close 

Signature 


UMm.  Anatrion  St  OXiWTt 

Slpringfield,  Jim* 
Gentlecent 

The  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  13th  inet,  has  been  dsliqfed 
ia  the  htUef  that  Z  should  be  able  to  inclose  a  remittance  for  at 
iMMt  m  9wt  of  year  aoooaaik.        ianbilitir  aov  to  4e  so  is  due  to 
eifraptioiooo  iMoh  I  trwt  will  JvotiQr  yo«  ia  dovi«iii«  trm  your 
nml  valo  in  raeh  o«mo  and  FronQi  yon  to  cr«it  m  an  aftlmaioa  ia 
this  iastaaoo* 

Although  business  Just  nov  is  Tszy  good.*  it  has  aot  hoaa  ao 
brisk  as  X  had  good  reason  to  expect  at  this  season*     I  boua^t  haavw 
ily  for  the  winter  trade ,  and  as  a  vosult  I  find  I  sm  carxying  about 
oight  tlmaand  dollava  aoro  ia  atook  thsa  I  carried  a  year  ago  thia 
■oafth.    ttia  any  aaas  like  poor  JiiUpiit  ia  buying,  bat  X  oxpeotod 
a  law  iaoreaso  ia  aalaa.    X  do  ao  orodit  baaiaaaa^  ao  tka  Halo 
dimoalty  is  that  ay  aoaay  ia  tiod  a»  ia  a  aarplaa  atotfk.    noa  X 
am  aoTing  oat  aa  iiaat  aa  poaaiblo,  but  it  ia  vaiy  diffioalt  to  ia» 
orease  business  Just  now  even  at  a  aaorif^oo* 

D^er  the  cirouDstancest  X  trust  it  nay  bo  convenient  tor 
yoQ  to  acoept  ay  sixty-day  note  for  the  amount  due* 

VBors  very  truly. 


li 


II.  THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 


The  primary  purpose  of  a  business  letter  is  the  adequate  ex- 
pression of  the  subject-matter  with  which  it  deals.  It  is  above 
all  else  a  means  of  communication  and,  as  such,  might  be  cast 
into  any  form  whatever,  provided  the  message  it  contained  were 
properly  set  forth.  It  might  be  on  any  size  paper  or  arranged 
in  any  conceivable  fashion  and  still  fulfill  its  purpose  —  the 
jtranstnission  of  thought  in  written  words.  But  by  common  con- 
sent and  usage  of  generations  of  business  men,  there  has  been 
evolved  and  perfected  a  special  outward  form  which  has  been 
I  found  to  be  at  once  clear  and  convenient.  This  form,  though 
in  many  ways  arbitrary,  is  now  so  deeply  rooted  in  custom  and 
so  admirably  adapted  to  the  needs  of  modem  business  system, 
—  since  it  presents  to  the  eye  immediately  and  clearly  such 
minor  yet  vital  parts  of  a  letter  as  the  date,  place  of  writing, 
addressee's  name  and  address,  writer's  signature,  etc.,  —  that 
no  serious  deviation  from  it  can  any  longer  be  sanctioned  or 
even  tolerated.  It  is  the  conventional  framewprk  upon  which 
all  good  business  letters  are  to-day  constructed,  and  so  cus-. 
tomary  has  it  become  that  any  departure  from  it  is  in  bad 
taste  and  may  indeed  be  taken  as  an  indication  of  ignorance. 
Whimsical  or  negligent  irregularity  in  regard  to  this  fundamental 
form  not  only  prejudices  a  man  against  the  writer,  in  much  the 
same  way  that  bad  manners  do,  but,  what  is  perhaps  more  im- 
portanty  it  may  cause  serious  inconvenience  in  the  process  of 
handling  and  filing  ;  for  no  small  amount  of  business  system 
has  grown  up  around  the  accepted  form  of  a  business  letter  and 
is  dependent  upon  it. 

A  letter  may  be  divided  for  convenience  of  analysis  into  six 
'stinct  parts.    Each  part  has  a  clearly  defined  position  on  the 
page  with  reference  to  all  the  other  parts  and  to  the  arrange- 

12 


HEADING  13 

ment  of  the  page  itself.  They  are  fitted  together  in  the  maimer 
shown  in  the  outline  and  letter  on  pages  lo  and  1 1. 

Heading 

The  purpose  of  the  heading  is  to  indicate  the  date  and  place 
of  writing  and  thereby  furnish  the  receiver  with  such  informa- 
tion as  he  will  need  in  directing  his  reply.  Whether  the  county, 
street  and  street  number,  post  office  box,  etc.,  should  be  given 
depends  upon  the  conditions  which  govern  the  receipt  and  dis- 
tribution of  mail  in  the  town  or  dty  where  the  writer  resides. 
If  his  place  of  residence  is  a  city,  his  post  office  address  usually 
should  contain  the  street  and  number,  city,  and  state;  if  his 
place  of  residence  is  a  small  place,  the  address  usually  should 
include  the  name  of  the  post  office,  county,  and  state.  When 
the  writer's  post  office  address  is  different  from  the  place  of 
writing,  or  when  a  request  is  made  to  direct  a  reply  in  care  of  a 
third  party,  this  fact  is  perhaps  best  indicated  in  the  body  of 
the  letter  or  just  after  the  signature.  In  general  it  may  be  said 
that  the  greatest  care  should  always  be  taken  to  give  data  suf- 
ficient to  render  mistake  in  addressing  the  reply  impossible. 

The  heading  may  occupy  one,  two,  or  even  three  lines,  accordr 
ing  to  the  information  it  contains.  The  date  should  in  all  cases 
come  last,  and  in  it  the  order  should  be  month,  day,  year.  The 
month  may  be  written  in  full  or  properly  abbreviated;  thus, 
December  lo,  1908,  or  Dec.  10,  1908.  The  English  custom  of 
writing  the  month  after  the  day,  as  loth  Dec,  1908,  is  in  favor 
with  some  correspondents  in  this  country.  Also  occasionally 
the  month,  like  the  day  and  year,  is  written  in  numerals;  as, 
1 2/ 1 0/1908;  but  this  last  method  is  obviously  indefinite  and 
uncertain  as  long  as  there  is  any  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  order 
of  writing  the  month  and  the  day.  When  the  order  is  month, 
day,  year,  it  is  better  not  to  put  st,  d,  or  th  after  the  day ;  thus, 
Dec.  10,  not  loth. 

Never  under  any  circumstances  should  the  date  of  a  letter  be 
omitted.  It  forms  perhaps  the  most  important  factor  in  deter- 
mining a  letter's  place  and  bearing  upon  any  given  buaincM 


14  TH$  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 

proceeding.  Many  business  letters  hold  good  only  in  cQnnec- 
tion  with  the  date  on  which  they  were  written.  They  may  be 
utterly  misleading  if  referred  to  the  next  day.  The  date  is,  in 
a  way,  the  basis  of  interpretation,  and  therefore  too  great  care 
can  not  be  exercised  in  regard  to  this  small  but  exceedingly 
important  part  of  a  business  letter.  As  evidence  of  a  trans- 
action, a  letter  which  bears  no  date  and  for  which  ao  date  can 
be  prov^is  worthless  in  case  of  dispute. 

Most  modem  business  houses  use  their  own  special  stationery, 
on  which  is  engraved  a  letter  head  containing  the  address  and 
the  place  of  writing,  often  also  the  telephone  number  and  code 
cable  address.  In  such  cases  filling  in  the  date  completes  the 
heading. 

The  following  examples  illustrate  the  various  forms  that  a 
heading  may  take  under  different  circumstances.  ^ 


/  Form  i 

Form  I  shows  a  one-line  heading,  begun  far  enough  from  the 
lef trhand  margin  to  fill  the  remaining  space  to  the  right. 

A  two-line  heading  should  be  used  when  the  matter,  if  arranged 
in  Oj^e  line,  would  extend  more  than  halfway  across  the  sheet. 
The  heading  should  never  c^end  to  the  left  of  the  middle  of 
the  sheet 

X9T  BMOM  Sl.« 

Boston^  llMMi.t  0«G«Bl>or  1»  1904* 


HEADING 


Form  2  shows  a  two-line  heading,  the  first  line  begun  near 
the  middle  of  the  page,  and  the  second  line  begun  far  enough 
from  the  beginning  of  the  first  to  fill  the  remaining  space  to  the 
right 

MMUuqr  S9  190f  • 


Form  3  shows  a  two-line  heading  arranged  similar  to  form  2, 
but  with  the  post  office  address  occupying  one  line  and  the  date' 
the  other. 

aoop  710  flMS  BBiUil«« 

Nov.  12,  19X4. 


t 


FoaM  4 

s 
■ 

Form  4  shows  a  three-line  heading. 

Pitnctuation.  —  The  heading  of  a  letter  may  be  separated,  for 
purposes  of  punctuation,  into  distinct  parts :  the  house  number 
aijd  street,  if  any ;  the  name  of  the  city,  village,  or  post  office ; 
the  name  of  the  county,  if  any  ;  and  the  state.  Each  of  these 
should  be  followed  by  a  comma.  The  date  should  be  punctu- 
ated by  separating  with  a  comma  the  day  of  the  month  and  the 
year.  A  period  should  be  put  at  the  end  of  the  heading  and 
after  all  abbreviations.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  if  an  abbn^vi- 
ation  ends  one  of  the  distinct  parts  of  the  heading  above  r^ 
f erred  to,  it  will  be  followed  by  a  period  and  a  comma. 


I 


l6  THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 

£X£RCIS£S 

1-6.  Write  correctiy  the  following  headings,  referring  to  models,  when 
necessary,  for  the  im>per  position  of  the  parts,  punctuation,  and  use  of  capitals : 

(1)  Hartford  conn  April  third  1904. 

(2)  June  18  masonic  temple  Chicago  illinds. 

(3)  Nassau  county  cedariiurst  n  y  Dec  isl  1906. 

(4)  19  may  Room  96  St  james  BuUding  Broadway  new  york  ny 

(5)  box  1 12  Waitsfield  vt  8th  May  1912. 

(6)  1905  jan  7  Yale  university  new  Haven  Conn. 

7.  Write  a  correct  heading  of  a  letter  finom  your  home. 

8.  Using  data  of  your  own. invention,  write  correctly  three  headings. 

introdttctory  Address 

The  introductory  address  of  a  business  letter  consists  (i)  of 
the  full  name  and  title  o£  the  person  addressed,  (2)  of  his  rest- 
dence,  place  of  business,  or  such  other  place  as  he  may  desig- 
nate for  the  reception  of  his  mail. 

In  the  first  part  of  the  address,  politeness^  as  well  as  custom, 
requires  that  some  title  be  written  with  the  name.  The  com- 
monest titles  of  courtesy  and  distinction  are  Miss,  Mrs.,  Mr., 
Esq.,  Messrs.,  Dr.,  Rev.,  Prof.,  Hon.  The  use  of  these  should 
be  most  carefully  distinguished. 

Miss  is  the  title  given  to  an  unmarried  woman.  It  is  not 
an  abbreviation  and  should  not  be  followed  by  a  period;  as. 

Miss  Ella  M.  Somerville. 

Mrs,  is  the  title  given  to  a  married  woman ;  as,  Mrs.  Joseph 
B.  Buchanan.  When,  however,  a  woman  is  a  widow,  it  is  custom- 
ary that  she  assume  her  awn  given  name  or  initials ;  as,  Mrs. 

Mary  A.  McDonald. 
Mr.  is  applied  to  a  man  who  has  no  other  title  of  distinction ; 

as,  Mr.  Paul  J.  Haywood. 

Esq.  (abbreviation  of  Esquire)  was  originally  appUed  to  men 
engaged  in  legal  or  administrative  pursuits  that  did  not  afford 
any  distinctive  title.    It  was  once  a  Utle  of  slightly  more  dig- 


INTRODUCTORY  ADDRESS  17 

nity  than  plain  Mr.,  but  in  business  use  to-day  the  two  are 
rapidly  becoming  interchangeable ;  as,  Mr.  John  W.  Ellis,  or, 
John  W.  Ellis,  Esq. 

^  Messrs,,  an  abbreviation  of  Messieurs,  the  French  for  gentle- 
men, is  the  title  applied  to  two  or  morfe  persons  when  they  are 
engaged  in  business  under  a  name  which  in  some  way  implies 
the  personal  element.  B.  Altman  &  Co.,  Bamett  &  Elkins 
H  arper  Bros.,  Williams  &  Son,  are  partnerships,  companies,  or 
corporations  that  may  properly  be  addressed  as  Messrs.  But 
United  States  Steel  Corporation,  The  American  Ice  Co.,  The 
Century  Company,  are  nothing  but  the  legal  titles  under  which 
these  corporations  and  companies  are  doing  business;  they 
have  no  implication  of  personality,  and  the  title  Messrs.  can 
therefore  not  be  properly  applied  to  them. 

Dr.  is  properly  applied  as  a  title  only  to  those  who  have  a 
doctor's  degree,  whether  it  is  in  medicine,  law,  literature,  tfaeol- 
ogy,  or  philosophy ;  as,  Dr.  Charles  E.  Thomas,  Dr.  William  L. 
Lewis,  Dr.  Charles  M.  Bassett  (because  these  men  have  the 
degrees,  respectively,  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  Doctor  of  Divmity, 
and  Doctor  of  Philosophy). 

Rev.  is  the  common  title  of  a  clergyman ;  as.  Rev.  Cuthbert 
W.  King. 

Prof,  (abbreviation  of  Professor)  is  a  purely  academic  title 
and  should  be  applied  only  to  those  who  hold  professorships 
in  colleges  and  universities ;  as,  Prof.  Charles  Sears  Baldwin. 

Hon.  (abbreviation  of  Honorable)  is  a  title  given  to  men  who 
hold  or  have  held  important  government  positions.  It  is  prop- 
erly applied  to  members  of  Congress,  senators,  cabinet  officers, 
ambassadors,  governors,  lieutenant  governors,  mayors,  and 
judges;  as,  Hon.  Elihu  Root,  Hon.  Albert  J.  Beveridge,  Hon. 
Joseph  H.  Cboate  (because  these  men  have  filled  the  offices, 
respectively,  of  Secretary  of  War,  senator,  and  ambassador  to 
Great  Britain). 

In  choosing  the  proper  title  for  the  introductory  address,  it 
is  necessary  to  consider  the  commercial,  professional,  social,  i 
or  political  position  of  the  person  addressed.    If  he  has  titles 
of  dignity  or  distinction,  they  must  never  be  omitted.    If  be 

COM.  CORR£8FONDIIiCB  — S 


I8  THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 

has  none,  he  should  be  addressed  as  Mr.  or  Esq.  If  he  has 
more  than  one  title,  it  is  necessary  to  use  that  title  which  applies 
to  the  capacity  in  which  you  intend  to  address  him.  Should  a 
doctor  be  a  member  of  the  senate,  it  would  be  wrong  to  address 
him  as  Hon.  in  a  letter  cbncemed  with  his  practice  of  medicine, 
or  as  Dr.  in  a  letter  referring  to  affairs  of  state. 

It  is  also  of  the  utmost  importance  to  observe  that  the  ordi- 
nary titles  of  courtesy  enumerated  above  should  not  be  used 
together.  Never  write  "Mr.  J.  B.  Bums,  Esq.,"  "Hon.  Dr. 
William  H.  Teller,'*  "Hon.  C.  A.  Burrows,  Esq."  There  is 
but  one  exception  to  this  rule.  When  a  clergyman's  given 
name  or  initials  are  unknown,  he  may  be  addressed  with  the 
two  titles  Rev.  and  Mr.;  as.  Rev.  Mr.  Barclay;  but  never 
"Rev.  Mr.  E.  C.  Barckiy." 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  the  correct  abbreviations 
of  those  titles  of  distinction  which  are  written  after  the  name. 
They  are  to  be  found  chiefly  in  the  catalogues  of  institutions  of 
art  or  learning,  although  they  are  sometimes  written  in  connec- 
tion with  the  outside  or  inside  address  of  a  letter.  They  should 
never  be  used  when  they  will  be  nothing  but  a  repetition  of,  or 
in  aay  way  inconsistent  with,  the  title  placed  before  the  name ; 
for  instance,  never  write  "Dr.  Raymond  G.  Hitchcock,  M.D." 
As  yet  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  there  is  any  well-dehned  good 
usage  which  dictates  what  titles  may  or  may  not  be  used  to- 
gether. There  would,  however,  seem  to  be  little  doubt  that 
^ood  tasie  excludes  absolutely  from  any  part  of  correspondence 
non-professional  titles  now  so  common  as  A.B.,  Ph.B.,  B.S., 
LitB.,  etc. 


A.B.  or  B.A   Bachelor  of  Arts. 

A.  M.  or  M,A   Master  of  Arts. 

B.  C.L   Bachelor  of  Civil  Law. 

B.D   Bachelor  of  Divinity. 

B.LL.  or  LL  B.     ...  Bachelor  of  Laws. 

B.M.  or  M.B.  -  .   .   .   .  Bachek>r  of  Medidne. 

B.S   .  Bachelor  of  Surgery. 

B.  S   Bachelor  of  Science. 

C.  E   Civil  Engineer. 

D  .D.S   Doctor  of  Dental  Suiferjr. 


INTRODUCTORY  ADDRESS 


Dist.  Atty   District  Attorney. 

D.Lit.  or  Lit.D  Doctor  of  Literatuie. 

I>-Sc   Doctor  of  Science. 

D.D.  or  D.T   Doctor  of  Divinity. 

^•^  -^^^   Doctor  of  Veterinary  Medicine. 

F  R.S   Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society. 

J  C.D   Doctor  of  Civil  Law. 

L.H.D.   Doctor  of  Humanities. 

I-L.D   Doctor  of  Laws. 

LL.M.     ......  Master  of  Laws. 

M.C   Member  of  Congress. 

M.D.  orD.M.  ....  Doctor  of  Medicine. 

  Member  erf"  Parliament. 

Mus.  B   Bachelor  of  Music. 

Mus.  D   Doctor  of  Music. 

Pli  B   Bachelor  of-Philosophy. 

Ph  D   Doctor  of  Philosophy. 

^« A   Member  *<rf  the  Royal  Academy. 

  Veterinsury  Surgeon. 


The  second  part  of  the  introductory  or  inside  address,  as  it 
may  be  called,  consists  of  the  address  or  post  office  directions 
of  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  written.  It  occupies  one 
or  two  lines,  rarely  more,  immediately  below  the  name  and  title, 
and  is  written  in  this  order :  street  address,  city,  state.  When 
town  and  state  alone  are  necessary,  they  are  written  on  the 
same  line,  as  in  form  i  below ;  but  when  the  street  and  house 
number  are  given  m  addition,  it  is  perhaps  best  to  put  the  name 
of  the  town  and  state  on  the  line  below,  as  in  form  2. 

Auburn,  I.  Y.,  Msroli  iS,  1$07. 

fhs  zaisnstioBsl  liysr  Oor.» 


l^OKM  Z 

Each  succeeding  Ime  of  the  introductory  address  is  usually 
indented  a  little  more  than  the  line  immediately  above.  Neafc 
ness  and  a  graceful  grouping  of  Ae  various  parts  require  that 


20 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 


the  successively  added  amounts  of  indentation  be  approximately 
uniform. 

Durham,  S.        ipril  1,  1907» 


•t 


Form  2 

In  typewritten  letters,  the  form  shown  in  example  3  is  now 
used  to  some  extent.  It  is  notxdegant,  but  it  allows  the  car- 
riage to  be  brought  back  each  time  to  the  full  stop,  thereby  sav- 
ing some  slight  amount  of  labor  and  time.  This  also  may  be 
said  for  it,  that  once  adopted  it  may  be  used  invariably  for  all 
cases. 


Miington,  D.  Cm  Ax«.  dOt  1907* 


Fo&M  3 

Modern  business  firms  iile  copies  of  the  letters  they  send  out 
It  is  essential  that  the  inside  address  be  adequately  given  as  a 
means  of  identification.    For  punctuation,  see  page  5a 

Salutation 

The  salutation  is  the  complimentary  address  with  which  a 
letter  is  always  begun.  It  depends  for  its  form  upon  the  per- 
sonal,  relations  that  exist  between  the  writer  and  his  correspon- 
dent,, as  well  as  upon  the  peculiar  circumstances  that  govern 
the  Writing  of  the^iettaF4n  question.  Custom  dictates  the  use 
of  certain  forms  under  certain  conditions,  and  it  is  a  mark  of 
great  ignorance  or  disrespect  to  disregard  or  misapply  them. 


SALUTATION 


21 


Business  letters  to-day,  however,  show  less  and  less  latitude 
in  the  use  of  these  forms.  Dear  Sir,  My  dear  Sir,  and  Gentle- 
men  are  the  salutations  now  most  used  in  commercial  corre- 
spondence, although  in  letters  to  high  government  officials  with 
whom  the  writer  is  unacquainted,  and  also  occasionally  in 
letters  of  censure  or  rebuke.  Sir  may  properly  be  used. 

In  addressing  one  man,  Dear  Sir  is  perhaps  the  commonest 
of  all  business  salutations.  It  seems^  to  cover  adequately  the 
need  of  all  conditions,  ranging  from  formal  courtesy  to  familiar 
relationship,  that  are  likely  to  arise  in  ordinary  business  inter- 
course. It  has  come  to  be,  in  fact,  the  standard  salutation  of  a 
commercial  letter.  In  the  past.  My  dear  Sir  was  frequently 
used  when  friendship  or  intimacy  existed  between  the  corre- 
spondents,  but  it  is  now  fast  disappearing  from  modern  busi- 
ness communications. 

Gentlemen  is  the  form  which  is  to-day  almost  universally  used, 
as  the  plural  of  Dear  Sir,  in  addressing  firms,  companies,  and 
corporations.  It  is  slightly  more  formal  than  Dear  Sirs,  which, 
like  My  dear  Sir,  is  gradually  passing  out  of  use.  Both  Dear 
Sir  and  Gentlemen  have  the  advantage  of  being  simple  and 
direct  Likewise  the  uniform  use  of  them  avoids  the  possibility 
of  misapplication  and  the  consequent  show  of  bad  taste.  The 
salutotion  should  always  agree  in  number  with  the  introductory 
address. 

In  addressing  a  business  letter  to  a  married  or  an  unmar- 
ried woman,  Dear  Madam  is  the  generally  accepted  form.  It 
may  properly  be  used  under  practically  all  circumstances  that 
would  naturally  arise  in  the  progress  of  a  business  transaction. 
Madam  is  sometimes  used,  but  it  seems  unnecessarily  lacking 
in  courtesy  where  most  courtesy  is  due.  In  addressing  a  letter 
to  a  firm  composed  of  women,  however,  the  proper  form  is 
simply  Mesdames. 

There  should  be  no  abbreviation  whatever  in  the  salutation. 
Such  forms  as  "  Dr.,"  "  Sr.,"  and  "  Gents."  are  an  indication  of 
vulgarity  and  ignorance.  It  is  particularly  necessary  to  notice 
that  dear  is  not  capitalized  in  the  salutation  My  dear  Sir;;  and 
that,  in  general,  m  any  unusual  fonn  of  salutation,  only  the 


22  THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 

nouns  are  capitalized,  besides  the  first  word.  The  various 
positions  of  the  salutation  are  illustrated  below. 

Form  I  shows  the  position  of  the  salutation  following  a  two- 
line  introductory  address.   Note  the  successive  indentations. 

OOVtlMdl,  B.  X.,  DM.  23* 

Mr.  Prederick  LeOf 

Sirt  ■  ■■  ■  ■■■  ■  ■  ■ 


Form  z 


Form  2  shows  the  position  of  the  salutation  following  a  three- 
line  introductory  address. 

iMdiftt  iMMSt  iyru  s,  liU* 

aiiwy  Oirlton,  lst*t 
Dear  Sin 

Fouf  s 

Form  3,  without  indentations,  has  recently  come  into  use  to 

some  extent  in  typewritten  letters.  (See  p.  20,  remarks  on 
form  3.) 


1S8  State  St.* 
Chicago «  111. 


V 


FbiM  3 

An  examination  of  a  large  number  of  business  letters  has  dis- 
closed the  fact  that  the  following  arrangement  of  address  and 
salutation  is  in  general  use»  and  this  form  is  recpmmended. 


1 


SALUTATIOAT .  33 
GlMByiXle*  IU.»  MmH  A.  190S. 


MlM  Mitli  Mortiner, 
Otorlia*  Okie*' 
Dear  IMMt  ^ 


Form  4 

Punctuation.  — The  salutations  in  business  letters  aie  usually 
followed  by  a  colon,  or  by  a  colon  and  a  dash,  but  a  comma 
and  dash  may  be  used  instead.  * 

EXERCISES  ^ 

1-7.  Write  the  foUowing  headings,  introductory  addresses,  and  salutations, 
manging  and  punctuatmg  them  according  to  the  forms  given  : 

(1)  Freehold  N  J  Dec  10  1912  Mr  Frederick  Bliss  Denver  Col  27 
Street  Dear  Sir  your  letter  came  yesterday 

(2)  June  21  190S  St  Louis  Mo  Rogers  Peet  &  Co  New  York  Gentlemen 
Broadway  and  29tb  Street  Inclosed  please  find  invoice 

(3)  Butte  Mon  James  G.  Carson  St  Denis  Hotel  New  York  Broadway  and 
Ninth  St  May  7  1905  Dear  Sir  Replying  to  your  letter  just  at  hand 

(4)  Hume  N  Y  AUeghany  County  Feb  28  1903  Mr.  John  B.  Halsted  Den- 
ver Col  President  Board  of  Trade  Dear  Sir  Can  you  inform  me 

(5)  Ck:t  29  1905  Cleveland  Ohio  Smith  Pi«nicr  typewriter  Co  Gentlemen 
Syracaae  N  Y   We  received  your  shipment  of  30  typewriter  yesterday 

(6)  1 1  West  107th  Stieet  New  York  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New  York  Hon 
Geotge  B  McOellan  Sir  March  3  1909  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  communication 

(J)  Protectwn  Eric  County  N  Y  Dec  11  1913  Miss  Helen  Stevens  Knox- 
villc  Tenn  Exdiange  Place  Building  Dear  Madam  Replying  to  your  letter  of 

the  3d  inst 

«.  Conrtfuct  and  write  oomctly  three  examples  from  dau  of  your  own 
Invention. 

9.  Construct  and  write  comedy  the  introductory  parts  of  letters  to  A.  D. 
Spoioer,  Olean,  N.  Y.  (a  physician);  Mrs.  A.  D.  Spencer,  Olean,  N.  Y.; 
Harper  Bros.,  Franklin  Square,  New  York ;  The  Misses  Whiteside^  ao  Fiene- 
pont  S^  Brooklyn,  JN[,  Y.  (profiri^m  of  aaduwl  for  girls). 


24  THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER  4  < 

The  Body  of  a  Letter 

The  body  of  a  letter,  which  is  by  far  the  most  important  part, 
will  be  discussed  later  at  length.    There  are,  however,  certain 
mechanical  pjoiats  in  connection  with  its  arrangement  that 
\  should  be  noted  here.    The  place  of  a  letter  on  the  page  is 
important  in  connection  with  its  general  appearance.    It  should 
•  be  calculated  beforehand,  so  that  there  will  not  be  a  great  dis- 
crepancy between  the  upper  and  lower  margins.   When  a  letter 
is  short,  it  adds  noticeably  to  the  symmetry  of  the  page,  if  the 
margins  are  widened  at  the^ide,  so  that  what  would  have  been 
I  four  or  five  lines  straggling  across  the  entire  page  becomes  eight 
or  ten  lines  compactly  grouped  in  the  center. 

To  facilitate  copying  and  filing,  as  well  as  for  the  convenience 
of  the  receiver,  it  is  imperative  that  only  one  side  of  a  letter 
sheet  should  be  used. 

A  letter  should  be  carefully  divided  into  paragraphs,  each 
deaUng  with  one  particular  subject  This  is  not  only  the  correct 
usage  in  all  good  writing,  but  it  greatly  f  aciUtates  the  handUng 
of  business  letters  that  refer  to  several  topics.  There  are  some 
firms  that  in  their  internal  correspondence,  as  between  factory 
and  office,  use  a  new  sheet  for  every  new  subject  treated.  In 
this  way,  that  part  of  a  letter,  for  instance,  which  concerns  the 
purchasing  agent  goes  direct  to  him,  that  which  concerns  the 
manager,  direct  to  him,  and  so  on,  and  thereby  the  delay  pre- 
ceding reply,  while  reports  from  various  quarters  are  pending, 
is  minimized.  Some  firms  find  it  advantageous  to  have  printed 
blanks  on  which  the  parts  of  a  letter  that  refer  to  their  various 
departments  are  written,  so  that  the  whole  letter  can  be  attended 
to  at  once,  whereas  otherwise  it  would  have  to  pass  consecu- 
tively through  many  hands,  and  each  person  concerned  would 
have  to  waste  time  in  reading  much  that  did  not  concern  his 
particular  branch  of  the  business. 

If  such  a  method  of  using  separate  sheets  for  each  subject  dis- 
cussed were  universally  adopted,  it  would  save  an  immense  amount 
of  time  for  business  men.  All  that  is  needed  to  midce  it  practical 
is  some  obvious  method  of  identifying  each  separate  sheet 


aiMPUMENTARY  CLOSE 


Complimentary  Clooe 

The  complimentary  close  consists  of  those  words  of  respect 
or  regard  which  foUow  the  body  of  the  letter  and  precede  the 
signature.  The  greatest  variety  of  form  and  wording  may  be 
found  in  letters  of  correspondents  who  strive  ^ter  the  unusual 
in  the  expression  of  their  attitude  toward  the  person  to  whom 
the  letter  is  addressed.  But,  while  in  social  correspondence  the 
whimsical  or  novel  compUmentary  close  is  not  out  of  place, 
provided  it  is  in  keeping  with  the  general  tone  of  the  letter,' 
modern  business  usage  tends  to  treat  this  part  of  a  letter  in  a 
more  and  more  conventional  way.  Among  the  great  number  of 
possible  complimentary  closes,  a  few  have  now  the  sanction  of 
good  taste  and  custom.  These  few  are  the  common,  simple,  and 
dignified  forms  Yours  truly,  Yours  very  truly,  Yours  respectfully^ 
Yours  very  respectfully,  and  the  equivalent  forms  Tmly  yours. 
Very  truly  yours.  Respectfully  yours.  Very  respectfully  yours. 
Such  need  of  a  conventional  expression  of  regard  as  is  commonly 
felt  in  the  course  of  business  correspondence  will  usually  be 
adequately  and  tastefully  filled  by  one  of  these  eight  forms. 

In  official  letters  of  a  more  fminal  style,  the  closing  "  I  have 
the  honor  to  remain.  Yours  very  respectfully,"  or  expressions  of 
a  similar  kind,  are  correct  and  frequently  used.  But  the  wide- 
spread habit  of  ending  w^fy  sort  of  a  letter  with  the  unnecessary 
words  "  I  am,-  -  We  remain,"  -  BeUeve  me,  I  remain,''  "  BeUeve 
me,  my  dear  sir,  to  be.  Yours  very  truly,"  and  the  like,  is  extremely 
tedious  and  should,  for  the  sake  of  terseness  and  good  taste,  be 
carefully  avoided.  It  is  diiaScult  to  see  that  these  words  serve 
any  legitimate  purpose  whatever  in  the  great  majority  of  letters 
where  they  are  used,  while  it  is  often  very  evident  that  they  give 
to  what  is  otherwise  a  strong,  manly  letter  a  lame  and  insincere 
close. 

Even  more  weak,  monotonous,  and  trite  is  the  custom  of  pre- 
pariAg  for  the  complimentary  close  by  ending  the  letter  proper 
with  some  loosely  constructed,  often  in  fact  utterly  ungram- 
matical,  phrase.  Sentences  or  elliptical  phrases  beginning  with 
the  participle  -  Hoping,^  or  "  Trusting,"  and  used  to  express 


26 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 


what  is,  or  at  least  should  be,  otherwise  obvious  from  the  general 
force  of  the  letter  itself,  together  with  the  much  used  and 
oblige,"  are  the  commonest  forms  of  this  abuse.  The  use  of 
such  phrases  in  ending  a  letter  is  due  partly  to  a  vague  feeling 
of  certain  correspondents  that  a  letter  should,  in  some  way  or 
other,  slip  down  into  the  complimentary  close  with  a  kind  of 
artificial  smoothness.  They  can  not  so  construct  a  letter  that  it 
will  move  in  a  firm,  dignified,  and  logical  manner  from  beginning 
to  end,  but,  having  said  in  some  rambling  way  what  they  in- 
tended to  say,  they  feel  a  gap  between  the  last  thing  treated 
I  and  the  complimentary  close.  This  they  fill  in  with  the  phrases 
^  '  mentioned  above,  thereby  making  a  bad  matter  mm/t.  For  the 
end  of  a  letter  should  be  the  organic  result  of  the  thought  ex- 
j  pressed  from  the  beginning,  not  some  feeble,  meaningless  tag 
that  a  thoughtless  custom  supplies. 

The  complimentary  close  should  under  all  circumstances  ^e^ 
consisteiit-with  the  salutation  and  the  spirit  of  the  letter.  To 
introduce  a  formal  letter  to  a  government  official,  for  instance, 
with  the  salutation  Sir  and  close  with  such  a  phrase  as  Yours 
very  sincerely  "  or  Yours  faithfully,"  is  an  inappropriate  use  of 
terms  and  glaring  evidence  of  lack  of  culture.  Any  one  of  the 
eight  forms  Yaurs  truly.  Yours  very  truly,  etc.,  may  properly  be 
used  with  the  salutation  Dear  Sir  or  Gentletnen.  But  the  care- 
ful correspondent  will  choose  that  one  which  best  suits  his  re- 
lations  with  the  person  addressed  and  the  circumstances  which 
govern  his  own  attitude  in  the  letter  in  questiim. 

The  complimentary  close  is  usually  written  centrally  on  the 
page  immediately  below  the  body  of  the  letter.  If  it  consists  of 
several  parts,  written  one  below  another,  as  in  the  official  letters 
of  a  more  formal  style  above  referred  to,  it  is  written  centrally 
on  the  page  below  the  letter,  and  is  grouped  somewhat  as  the 
heading  and  introductory  address  are,  with  a  view  to  neatness, 
compactness,  proportion,  and  grace.  ^ 

Form  I  illustrates  (with  two  examples)  the  proper  position 
of  the  complimentary  close  in  business  correspondence.  The 
dotted  line  below  the  complimentary  close  shows  the  position  of 
the  signature. 


27 


Form  z 

Form  2  shows  the  relative  position  of  the  parts  of  the  compU- 
mentary  close  of  an  official  letter. 


I  Im  %te  IMMT  to  MSin, 

Foui  a 

PanctoatloiL  — If  the  complimentary  close  is  divided  into  sev- 
eral parts,  each  part  should  be  followed  by  a  comma ;  after 
the  complimentary  close  considered  as  a  whole,  whether  it  con- 
sists of  one  or  several  parts,  a  comma  is  always  placed.  Capitals 
are  used  as  shown  in  the  examples  above;  that  is,  in  the  compH- 
mentary  close,  only  the  firk  word  of  each  line  is  capitalized. 

I 

t 

Signature 

The  signature  of  a  letter  is  the  name  of  the  writer,  or  of  the 
firm,  company,  or  corporation  of  which  he  is  a  part  or  a  repre- 
sentative. Concermng  the  question  of  what  constitutes  a  signa- 
ture there  can  now  be  Uttle  doubt  It  is  such  mark  or  mailu, 
name  or  names,  whether  written  in  pencil  or  in  ink  or  printed 
with  a  rubber  stamp,  by  which  a  person  shaU  choose  to  desig- 
nate  himself  on  the  written  page.    A  typewritten  or  printed 


28 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 


name  is  not  necessarily  a  signature,  although  if  it  can  be  shown 
that  the  writer  intended  such  typewritten  or  printed  form  to  be 
his  signature,  it  will  be  held  as  such.  But  when  the  name  of  a 
firm,  company,  or  corporation  is  so  written  in  a  letter  which  is 
to  be  considered  part  of  a  contract  or  series  of  negotiations,  it 
should  usually  be  accompanied  by  the  written  signature  of  the 
person  who  stands  responsible  for  the  letter.  This  written  sig- 
nature appears  immediately  below  the  typewritten  or  printed 
name  of  the  firm,  and  is  best  followed  by  such  word  or  words 
as  indicate  the  personal  capacity  of  the  writer ;  as, 


<Mr, 


When  the  writer  has  no  official  designation,  his  signature  is 

usually  preceded  by  the  word    per  "  or  "  by  " ;  a% 


fte  fiiiokerbookar  Trust  Conpaaor* 


The  courts  have  also  determined  that  one  acting  as  agent  or 
eirecutor,  or  in  any  representative  capacity,  should  not  only  sign 
himself  as  such,  if  he  wishes  to  avoid  becoming  personally 
responsible  for  any  obligation  incurred,  but  should  also  indir 
cate  the  principal  in  whose  name  he  is  acting.  The  terms 
"agent,"  "administrator,"  "treasurer,"  "secretary,"  and  the 
like,  written  after  the  signature,  as  "Raymond  M.  Corbet, 
Executor,"  are  merely  words  of  description  and  do  not  in  any 
way  exempt  the  signer  from  personal  responsibility.  In  such 
cases  the  safest  way  is  to  put  the  name  of  the  principal  first, 


SIGNATURE 


29 


f oUowed  by  the  ugnature  of  the  agent  jrith  the  term  that  indi- 
cates  his  capacity ;  as, 


This  precaution,  it  should  be  noted,  is  wholly  unnecessary  in 
the  great  majority  of  cases  where  the  authority  of  the  agent  is 
well  established  by  custom,  or  clearly  defined  by  agreement  or 
previous  understanding,  and  where  the  third  party  is  entirely 
familiar  with  the  circumstances  which  govern  the  transaction  in 
question.  Such  is  the  case  of  a  traveling  salesman.  He  may 
quote  prices  over  his  own  signature  and  transact  such  other 
busmess  as  comes  within  the  scope  of  his  authority  without 
incurring  any  personal  liability. 

In  a  partnership,  each  partner  is  a  general  agent  for  each 
and  all  of  the  other  partners,  and  as  such,  may  sign  the  partnerr 
ship  name  without  words  of  qualification. 

The  signature  should  be  in  ink,  and  should  never  be  omitted. 
Thousands  of  unsigned  letters,  often  containing  inclosures  of 
money,  come  into  the  hands  of  business  men  every  year.  Ob- 
viously reply  to  letters  containing  no  clew  to  the  writer's  iden- 
tity is  almost  impossible,  and  the  receiver  is  placed  in  the 
exasperating  false  light  of  not  attending  to  the  demands  of  cor- 
respondents whom  he  can  not  know,  and  to  whom  he  has  no 
means  of  writing. 

Like  the  omission  of  the  signature  is  the  fault  of  gross  and 
sometimes  willful  illegibility  in  signing  a  letter.  In  no  other 
place  is  clear,  distinct  penmanship  more  obviously  necessary. 
For,  while  the  body  of  most  business  letters  is  to-day  type- 
written and  the  difficulty  of  poor  penmanship  thereby  avoided, 
the  signature  must  still  usuaUy  be  in  the  correspondmt's  hand- 
writing;  and  while  in  poorly  written  manuscript  it  is  often 
possible  to  guess  at  the  meaning  of  doubtful  words  from  the 
general  context,  the  arbitrary  spelUng  of  proper  names  makes 


30 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 


it  practically  impossible  to  supply  illegible  parts  of  a  signature. 
There  was  a  time  when  twists,  flourishes,  and  a  strange  manner 
of  writing  were  considered  proper  in  signing  one's  name;  this 
kmd  of  signature  was  held  to  be  a  mark  of  individuality,  and 
some  even  thought  that  it  was  a  safeguard  against  forgeries, 
but  handwriting  experts  are  now  of  the  opinion  that  such  sig- 
natures are  more  easily  imitated  than  those  that  are  plainly 
written.  At  any  rate  there  are  so  many  other  weighty  reasons 
that  may  be  urged  against  this  foolish  and  useless  practice  that 
it  is  no  longer  countenanced  by  men  of  intelligence  and  good 
taste. 

It  is  best,  then,  to  adopt  some  plain  and  clearly  defined 

manner  of  writing  one*s  signature,  and,  when  one  has  once 
adopted  such  a  definite  form,  it  is  imperative  that  no  other  form 
should  ever  be  used.  There  are  so  often  many  men  of  the 
same  name  in  a  single  post  office  district  that  it  becomes  impos- 
sible for  the  postal  officials  to  distinguish  them  if,  for  example, 
J.  Howard  Smith  sometimes  also  signs  himself,  and  consequently 
receives  letters  as  "  John  H.  Smith  "  and  "  J.  H.  Smith,"  while 
at  the  same  time  John  Henry  Smith  also  writes  his  name  J.  H. 
Smith  "  and  John  H.  Smith."  There  is  always  a  possibility 
that  there  may  be  some  one  else  with  exactly  the  same  name 
even  when  one  particular  form  is  adopted  and  adhered  to;  but 
when  a  man  willfully  chooses  to  write  his  name  5n  two,  three,  or 
even  four  different  ways,  it  is  evident  that  he  greatly  increases 
the  possiUlity  of  his  letters  going  into  the  hands  of  some  one 
else. 

A  business  woman  writing  to  a  stranger  should  never  neglect 

to  prefix  to  her  signature  the  title  Miss  or  Mrs,  in  parenthesis, 
so  that  a  reply  may  be  properly  addressed.  There  is  no  way  of 
telling  from  the  signature  "  A.  C.  Cornwall "  whether  the  reply 
should  be  addressed  Miss,  Mrs.,  or  Mr.  Likewise  it  is  impos- 
sible to  tell  from  the  signature  Anna  C.  Cornwall  "  whether 
the  address  should  be  Miss  or  Mrs.  The  correct  form  of  signa- 
ture for  a  woman  is  (Miss)  Anna  C.  Cornwall  or  (Mrs.)  J.  B. 
Gordon.  In  ordinary  correspondence  a  distinction  should  be 
made,  in  the  form  of  signing  a^d  addressing  letters,  between  a 


REVIEW  EXERCISES 


31 


married  woman  and  a  widow.  If  a  woman-  has  a  husband  liv- 
ing  she  may  sign  herself,  for  instance,^  "Jane  B.  Gordon  (Mrs. 
Henry  H.  Gordon),"  and  letters  to  her  in  reply  may  be  ad- 
dressed  to  Mrs.  Henry  H.  Gordon.  If  her  husband  is  dead, 
however,  she  would  sign  herself  (Mrs.)  Jane  B.  Gordon. 

As  shown  in  the  preceding  illustrations,  the  ^gnature  should 
be  written  on  the  next  line  after  the  complimentary  close,  and 
should  begin  at  such  a  point  that  it  will  end  near  the  nght*band 
edge  of  the  sheet 

REVIEW  EXERCISES 

Write  in  proper  forai,  with  conrect  pimctuatioa,  the  given  parts  of  each  of 
the  Mowing  letters.   Insot,  also,  the  proper  salutation,  if  it  is  missing : 

1.  9  Coe  8t  Erie  Fa  Ck:t  I  1901  W  Coy  Esq  Ely  O  .  .  .  yoms  truly  E  M 
Barber 

2.  Office  of  SiqMdor  Lumber  Co  Diiluth  Minn  Jan  20  1905  Hon  Bourke 
Cocktan  House  of  Representatives  Washington  D  C  My  dear  Sir  ...  I  have 
the  honor  to  remain  yours  very  truly  David  Canon 

3.  Linden  Gal  Aug  20  1909  The  Macmillan  Company  135  Fifth  Avenue 
New  York  Gentlemen  What  are  your  terms  and  prices  for  your  «  British 
Art"  Please  give  quotations  for  the  work  both  in  pamphiet  form  and 
bound  in  two  volumes  in  half  Russia  (Paragraph  here)  If  you  have  an 
agent  in  this  vidnity  who  wUl  caU  on  us  we  may  decide  to  landk  some  of 
your  publicatkms  Yours  respectfully  Mason  &  Bro 

'4-  Room  34  Westingfaouse  Building  Pittsburg  Pa  Nov  24  191 3  Messrs 
Hoyt  WOUamson  &  Hoyt  Cor  Stephenson  Park  &  West  H  St  San  Fnmdsco 
Cal  Gentlemen  ...  We  put  this  matter  in  your  hands  without  definite  in- 
stnicticms  and  we  trust  you  will  give  it  your  best  attention  yours  very  respect- 
fiiUy  The  Iron  Mountain  Iron  Co  James  L  Wren  Sec 

5.  1004  East  15th  St  Kansas  City  Mo  June  12  1917  Dr  O  R  Deck  Presi- 
dent of  the  London  Medical  Dispensary  34  Warwidc  square  Manchester  £ng 

Dear  Su:  I  indose  herewith  Five  DoOars  ($5.00)  for  your  .  .  ,  Yours  respect- 
fiiUy  Oliver  Blossom 

6.  Nortii  Salem  Rockingham  County  N  H  Aug  4  1905  John  T  Williamson 
Manu&cturing  Company  756  So  Monument  St  Philadelphia  Pa  Gentlemen 


32 


THE  PARTS  OF  A  LETTER 


.  .  .  By  giving  this  your  immediate  attention  you  will  save  us  trouble  and 

yourselves  expense  and  inconvenience  yours  respectfully  Bell  Bros  &  Yates 

7.  96  Hampton  Place  Denver  Colo  Mar  12  1905  Mr  John  R  Parker  87 
San  Juan  Terrace  Quito  Ecuador  S  A  via  San  Francisco  Dear  Sir  .  •  •  Very 
respect^Uy  yoms  J  H  Winthn^ 

8.  Room  65  New  £ngkuid  Building  Chicago  lU  Aug  5  1908  Mr  Abraham 
Carr  care  John  Pierce  Dominion  Land  Surveyor  Moosehead  Lake  via  Edmon- 
ton North  West  Territory  Dear  Sir  This  is  my  third  letter  to  you  since  hear- 
ing from  you  .  .  .  (Para£^:aph  here)  If  my  letters  reach  you  in  a  bunch  I 
hope  you  will  make  a  dean  sweep  and  answer  them  all  at  onoe  Yonra  truly 
Walter  Hance 

9.  65  Avenue  B  Vick  Park  Rochester  N  Y  July  12  1908  John  Hampden 
Esq  145  Cumberland  Court  E  London  Eng  Dear  Sir  Your  letter  of  June 
30  came  during  my  absence  .  »  .  Yours  very  truly  Jaa  M  Gilbert 

10.  Office  of  Alexander  Dwight  &  Co  Bankers  54  Wall  St  New  York 
USA  July  9  1901  Mr  Geo  T  Voiedkoff  34  L^  me  Sqshk  Bulgaria  Europe 

Dear  Sir  .  .  .  We  thank  you  for  the  confidence  reposed  in  us  and  pledge  our 
best  efforts  in  your  behalf  very  respectfully  yours  Alex  Dwight  &  Co 

11.  Greencastle  Pa  May  15  1901  Messrs  D  &  H  Vail  Proprietors  of  the 
Hanover  News  Hanover  Mich  Gentlemen  Your  £iv<y  of  the  28th  inst  received 
We  expect  to  ship  your  order  tomorrow  and  it  shouM  reach  you  in  time 
(Paragraph  here)  We  have  your  dispatch  to-day  regarding  Warren's  paper 
and  have  wired  answer  that  it  has  just  been  shif^^  with  a  caiload  of  Press 
(Paragraph)  We  are  very  nrodi  afraid  that  we  can  not  get  to  the  Elliott 
order  before  the  latter  part  of  the  week  Will  you  advise  us  what  sizes  he 
wanted  ^st  Yours  truly  Jones  Paper  Co  per  Tyler 


III.    THE  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 


The  purely  mechanical  part  of  a  letter,  dealt  with  in  the  last 
chapter,  can  easily  be  mastered  by  any  one  who  is  willing  to 
give  the  proper  attention  to  the  customary  forms  of  spacing, 
heading,  salutation,  and  complimentary  close.  It  is  merely  a 
matter  of  the  correct  outward  form  as  dictated  by  the  best  usage 
in  business  correspondence.  But  there  is  a  more  difficult  and 
more  important  factor  in  correspondence  that  can  be  compre- 
hended and  mastered  only  by  giving  the  utmost  attention  to  the 
various  elements  of  the  wording  in  the  body  of  good  business 
letters.  These  elements  are  to  be  found,  in  fact,  in  all  good 
writing  which  is  concerned  with  facts  and  practical  affairs.  ' 
They  constitute  style.  They  represent  the  means  by  which  the 
writer  can  give  adequate  expression  to  his  thoughts,  making  it 
at  once  brief,  clear,  terse,  complete,  exact,  coherent,  methodical, 
and  courteous.  No  letter  can  be  good,  however  correct  its  out- 
ward form,  if  it  .does  not  also  exemplify  in  a  proper  degree  each 
and  all  of  these  qualities. 

Brevity.  —  First  of  all  a  letter  must,  within  certain  limits,  have 
brevity.  This  is  a  quality  upon  which  business  men  are  laying 
more  and  more  emphasis.  For  it  is  obvious  that  in  the  im- 
mense amount  of  daily  correspondence  received  by  a  large  firm 
a  long,  rambling  letter  is  utterly  out  of  place.  It  can  not  but 
irritate  and  inconvenience  a  man  who  has  no  time  to  waste  on 
subjects  krelevant  to  his  own  business  needs.  If  you  have  a 
complaint  to  make,  or  a  question  to  ask,  what  he  wants  is  the 
whole  point  of  the  matter,  and  nothing  but  the  point  This 
does  not  mean  that  the  letter  should  partake  t)f  the  nature  of  a 
telegram.  To  be  brief  you  need  not  write  in  monosyllables,  or 
omit  all  pronouns,  adverbs,  and  auxiliary  verb  forms.  Brevity 
is  rather  to  be  gained  by  carefully  excluding  such  words  and 

COM.  CORRESPONDENCE — 3  33 


V 

34 


THE  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 


facts  as  do  not  add  tellingly  to  the  end  you  have  in  view.  When 
this  has  been  done,  a  letter  will  usually  be  brief.  But  it  is  neces- 
sary to  remember  always  that  a  letter  should  also  be  smooth  and 
precise,  for  the  pressure  and  endless  hurry  of  commercial  life 
to-day  have  tended  to  lay  perhaps  too  great  emphasis  on  mere 
brevity  as  the  most  vital  quaUty  of  a  business  letter.  Courtesy 
and  cleamess  are  often  forgotten  in  a  desperate  endeavor  to  be 
brief.  Such  expressions  as  Yours  reed.,'*  "Gents.,"  "Yrs. 
resp., '  "  Yours,  etc."  are  glaring  crudities  that  serve  no  legiti. 
mate  purpose.  They  arise  from  a  certain  false  briskness  which 
is  indicative  of  nothing  but  a  lack  of  intelligence  and  refine- 
ment. 

Nor  is  this  the  chief  reason  why  one  should  carefully  avoid  the 
crudely  curt  letter.  Modem  buidness,  with  the  volume  of  corre- 
spondence that  it  entails,  has  necessitated  intricate  filing  systems 
in  which  every  letter  should  be  a  clear  and  essential  pfecc  of 
evidence  as  to  the  progress  of  any  given  transaction.  No  clerk, 
or  even  head  of  a  business  firm,  can  rightly  be  expected  to  re- 
member important  facts  which  extreme  haste  and  brevity  have 
excluded  from  the  letter,  but  which  are  absolutely  necessary  for 
its  proper  interpretation.  On  the  contrary,  every  letter  should 
be  a  complete  link  in  a  chain  of  evidence,  and  there  should  be 
no  tolerance  whatever  of  such  useless  brevity  as  may  make  ob- 
scure the  place  and  bearing  of  a  letter  in  any  series  of  transac- 
tions. Yet  frequently  the  unnecessarily  brief  letter  does  not 
contain  even  the  simplest  facts  needed  for  its  identification. 
The  following  is  an  example  of  a  too  brief  letter ; 

nimfU«.«  Pittsburg,  Penn. 

I  send  you  express  money  order  for  your  paper.   Please  send 
the  prize  ofiiered  in  the  Post.^^ 

Respectfully  yooTBy 

A.  Gisler. 

Such  a  letter  can  be  referred  to  no  particular  thing  and  no 
definite  time.  If  it  saves  a  minute  of  the  writer  s  time,  it  may 
perhaps  waste  twenty  f <Hr  the  man  who  receives  it  or  has  to  refer 
to  it  later. 


BREVJTYy  TERSENESS,  CLEARNESS 


3S 


Terseness  is  a  quality  that  must  never  be  confused  with  crude 
brevity.  It  is  rather  that  quality  in  the  expression  of  thought 
which  includes,  in  addition  to  a  brief,  clear  statement  of  the  facts, 
an  element  of  delicate  propriety  and  grace.  It  is  comparative 
brevity  and  pleasing  smoothness  combined.  Curtness  savcm  (rf 
incompleteness,  often  even  of  immoderate  hastiness,  and  what- 
ever may  be  said  of  it  as  a  means  of  saving  time,  it  must  always 
seem  ragged  and  crude  when  compared  with  the  nicely  adjusted 
conciseness,  force,  and  finish  of  well-studied,  terse  language. 
The  following  will  illustrate  how  the  last  letter,  when  t^sely  ex^ 
pressed,  would  be  at  once  brief,  courteous,  clear,  and  complete : 

123  Carnegie  St,  Pittsburg,  Pa., 

Nov.  30,  1901. 

The  Ladies'  Home  Journal, 
18  Chestnut  St, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Gentlemen : 

In  response  to  your  oflFcr  in  "The  Saturday  Even- 
ing Post"  of  Nov.  23,  I  inclose  herewith  an  American 
Express  Money  Order  for  One  Dollar  to  cover  one 
year's  subscription  to  **The  Ladies'  Home  Journal" 
Kindly  let  my  subscription  begin  with  the  November 
number. 

From  the  prizes  you  offer,  please  send  to  my 
address  a  copy  of  "Up  from  Slavery,''  by  Booker  T. 
Washington. 

Yours  very  tn^y, 
Inclosure.  (Jtro)  Anna  Caster. 

Clearness  is  beyond  aU  other  things  the  most  essential  attribute 
of  good  business  correspondence.  It  implies,  indeed,  ail  that  is 
admirable  in  business  itself :  exactness,  order,  method.  Before 
you  can  write  a  clear  letter  your  own  attitude  toward  the  matter 
in  hand  must  be  completely  and  sharply  defined.  You  must 
know  exactly  where  you  stand.   Likewise  the  facts  of  the  case 


36 


THE  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 


must  be  firmly  grasped  and  arranged  in  the  order  of  their  im- 
portance,—  with  the  subordination  and  grouping  which  arise 
only  from  correct  and  well-applied  method.  In  fact,  only  when 
you  are  completely  master  of  your  own  thoughts,  and  have 
properly  analyzed  and  collated  them,  are  you  mentally  in  a  posi- 
tion to  write  a  perfectly  clear  letter  — a  letter  which  will  be 
palpably  and  vitally  related  to  past  correspondence  on  the  same 
subject  and  will  con^un  sufficient  data  to  connect  it  with  any 
further  letters  bearing  upon  the  same  or  related  transactions. 

Completrafita. — A  letter  is  the  best  evidence  as  to  the  natiire 
of  the  transaction  with  which  it  deals.  Therefore  it  is  most 
essential  that  it  should  be  complete.  There  must  be  no  gaps 
and  flaws  in  the  statement  of  the  facts  of  which  it  treats.  It 
must  be  a  positive  and  rehable  record.  All  business  houses 
keep  copies  of  letters  sent  out  by  them,  so  that  in  case  of  dis- 
pute at  any  time  immediate  reference  can  be  made  to  past 
correspondence  on  the  subject  in  question.  Obviously,  if  the 
letters  kept  for  reference  do  not  contain  adequate  information 
concerning  the  essential  facts  of  the  case,  they  are  worthless. 

Study  the  following  examples : 

Utica,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  i,  1903. 

Messrs.  Packard  &  Field, 
Brockton,  Mass. 

Gentlemen :  On  August  i  last  I  gave  an 
order  to  your  Mr.  Franklin,  one  item  of  which  was 
"  Five  Doz.  Pairs  Men's  Russia  Calf  Bals.,  Last  26,  at 
1^2.15,"  to  be  shipped  August  15.  I  have  not  received 
these  goods  and  the  season  for  tan  shoes  is  so  far 
advanced  that  I  am  now  unable  to  use  them.  Accord- 
ingly, I  feel  obliged  to  cancel  my  order  of  August  i, 
in  so  far  as  it  relates  to  tan  shoes. 

Yours  truly, 

E.  B.  Fairchild. 

A  reply  to  the  above  letter,  illustrating  incompleteness : 


COMPLETENESS 


37 


Brockton,  Mass.,  Sept.  2,  igo^. 
Mr.  E.  B.  FairchUd,  *-  ' 

Utica,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Sir,  — We  have  shipped  your  goods.   We  regret 
the  ttoavoidaUe  delay  in  maa%  yoar  oider. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Packard  &  Field. 

Since  the  letter  of  Packard  &  Field  is  dated  September  2, 
and  no  mention  is  made  of  Mr.  Fairchild's  letter  of  Septem- 
ber I,  the  latter  can  have  no  assurance  that  it  refers  to  his 
letter ;  and  since  Mr.  Fairchild  receives  shipments  from  Pack- 
ard &  Field  frequently^  he  can  not  know  that  their  letter  refers 
to  the  particular  case  of  shoes  that  had  been  ordered  for 
August  15.  Likewise,  when  filed  by  the  writer,  the  letter  of 
Packard  &  Field  would  be  worthless  as  a  piece  of  evidence. 
These  faults  might  be  remedied  by  a  letter  like  the  following : 

Brockton,  Mass.,  Sept  2,  1903. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Fairchild, 
Utica,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Sir :  Replying  to  your  letter  of  the 
1st  instant  just  received,  we  regret  to  say  that  the 
Five  Doz.  Pairs  Men's  Russia  Calf  Bals.  ordered  on 
August  I  for  August  15  delivery  were  shipped  late 
yesterday  as  per  bill  of  lading  inclosed.  Our  delay  in 
filUng  this  order  was  caused  by  a  strike  in  our  Lynn 
factory.  We  can,  however,  assure  you  that  all  future 
orders  will  be  shipped  in  due  time. 

As  you  say,  the  season  for  tan  shoes  is  nearly  gone, 
but  if  you  can  make  use  of  the  few  dozen  pairs  shipped 
yesterday,  we  will  bill  them  to  you  at  %2.oo  a  pair  net 
Otherwise  you  may  return  them  at  our  expense. 

We  regret  the  inconvenience  you  have  suff^vd, 
and  we  trutt  we  may  be  favored  with  a  continuance 
of  your  Of ders,  which  shall  have  our  careful  attentkm. 

Yours  very  truly, 
Inclosure  .  Packard  &  FieW. 


3  8  TI££  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 

Szactneis  goes  hand  in  hand  with  completeness.    It  is  a 

quality  that  arises  from  the  most  careful  attention  to  details : 
such  as  the  date  and  place  of  writing,  which  must  never  be 
omitted;  the  name  of  the  addressee,  which  must  be  correctly 
spelled  and  written  as  he  is  accustomed  himself  to  write  ;  and 
titles  of  dignity  and  distinction,  which  should  be  given  in  then: 
proper  place  and  form. 

The  writer  must  also  be  especially  careful  to  give  his  own 
name  in  full  and  always  in  the  same  way.  Let  the  writer, 
therefore,  decide  what  his  signature  shall  be  and  then  hold  un- 
deviatingly  to  it  If  he  writes  in  a  representative  capacity,  his 
character  as  agent  should  be  clearly  indicated.  For  instance, 
an  executor,  by  his  signature  to  a  letter  that  completes  a  con- 
tract, binds  some  one  to  fulfill  the  obligation  incurred.  If  his 
character  as  executor  remains  undisclosed,  he  becomes  personally 
responsible.    (For  further  remarks  on  signature,  see  page  27.) 

The  amount  of  a  check  or  draft  inclosed  should  be  exactly 
stated,  otherwise  there  is  no  tangible  connection  between  the 
letter  and  the  remittance.  They  may  easily  become  separated, 
thus  creating  needless  trouble  both  for  the  writer  and  for  the  re- 
ceiver. In  making  a  remittance  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
to  sUte  definitely  how  the  payment  shall  be  applied.  The  legal 
phase  of  this  subject  is  treated  more  fully  in  the  discussion  of 
remittances  and  inclosures  in  Chapter  VI. 

Appointments  by  letter  should  be  made  in  such  a  definite 
and  exact  manner  as  will  avoid  the  possibility  of  misinterpre- 
tation and  consequent  inconvenience  and  delay.  The  following 
is  an  example  of  an  inexact  letter : 

Little  Falls,  Nov.  29. 

Mr.  A.  W.  Alien, 

Ezchaiige  I^aoe  Building, 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Dear  Sir,  — Mr.  M.  O.  Peabody  of  this  village  owns  two  lots 
located  on  Pearl  Street  in  Kansas  City.  He  has  been  to  heavy 
expense  in  keeping  up  improvements  for  the  past  tea  years,  and  he 
would  Uke  to  raal^  a  sate  of  the  pfoperQr  if  lie  can     a  lea^^ 


EXACTNESS 


What  in  your  opinion  is  its  present  value,  and  what  would  be 
your  terms  for  selling  ?    Mr.  Peabody  would  like  to  place  the  same 
in  the  hands  of  some  responsible  real  estate  agent.   I  lefened 
to  you,  and  so  he  asked  me  to  write  for  him. 

Veiy  truly  yours, 

Howard  Wood. 

The  above  letter  is  inexact  and  unbuskiesslike.  It  contains 
much  that  is  irrelevant  to  the  real  subject-matter  of  the  inquiry. 
Compare  it  with  the  following : 

Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  29,  1905. 

Mr.  A.  W.  Allen, 

Exchange  Place  Building, 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Dear  Sir:  —  Will  you  kindly  favor  me  with  your 
opinion  of  the  value  of  the  following  improved  property 
located  in  your  city :  Lots  6  and  7  in  Section  48,  each 
50  feet  front  by  100  feet  deep,  situated  at  the  nortli- 
east  comer  of  Pearl  and  Vine  streets  and  fronting  on 
Pearl  Street.  The  property  is  owned  by  Mr.  M.  O. 
Peabody  of  this  village.  He  has  expended  on  it  dur- 
ing the  last  five  years  about  $5000  for  paving,  sewers, 
sidewalks,  curbing,  and  shade  trees,  and  he  would  now 
like  to  sell. 

Kindly  indicate  in  your  reply  the  present  conditioii 
of  the  real  estate  market,  also  your  terms  for  handling 
property  of  this  character.  An  early  reply  will  oblige 
me. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Howard  Wood. 

What  information  does  this  letter  contain  that  is  not  |ound 
in  the  first  example  ? 

Is  this  information  necessary  for  the  convenience  of  the  re- 
ceiver ? 

What  unnecessary  information  does  the  first  example  contain 
that  has  been  omitted  in  the  second  ?  ' 


40 


THE  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 


Coherence.  —  One  of  the  qualities  most  frequently  absent  from 

business  correspondence  is  coherence,  although  it  is  absolutely 
indispensable  in  a  good  business  letter.  Words,  sentences,  and 
ideas  must  be  so  arranged  that  they  hang  together.  This  can 
best  be  accomplished  by  taking  care  to  deal  with  but  one  thing 
at  a  time,  and  by  so  ordering  the  divisions  of  each  subject  as 
to  make  your  letter  move  forward  by  perfectly  apparent  and 
rational  degrees.  Never  take  up  a  matter  of  which  you  have 
an  incomplete  conception,  only  to  be  forced  to  return  to  it  again, 
after  having  treated  of  other  issues.  Nothing  can  be  more  an- 
noying than  to  have  to  read  a  letter  three  or  four  times  in  order 
to  disentangle  and  rearrange  various  subjects  which  the  writer 
has  not  properly  fitted  together. 

Method.  —  The  best  kind  of  coherence  results  from  method. 
If  words  and  facts  are  arranged  into  sentences  and  paragraphs 
with  the  clearly  defined  purpose  of  methodically  exhausting 
each  subject  in  turn,  coherence  will  necessarily  result  Method 
implies  the  study  of  subordination  and  dasrification,  with  the 
end  in  view  of  making  all  correlated  data*  easy  of  access  and 
understanding.  If  you  jumble  your  ideas  together  without 
proper  sequence,  no  matter  how  precise  and  clear  your  wording 
of  each  individually  may  be,  the  general  effect  of  your  letter 
will  be  lost  You  will  not  make  your  whoU  case  clear,  because 
your  thoughts  have  not  been  joined  together  in  a  progressive, 
logical  sequence.  Method  is  nowhere  more  effective,  admi- 
rable, or  necessary  than  in  business  letter  writing.  Study  the 
following  example  of  an  incoherent  letter : 

140  Greene  St.,  New  York, 

Nov.  1, 1907. 

C.  A.  Galway,  Esq., 

Clarendon,  Vermont. 

Dear  Sir, — I  succeeded  to-day  in  sdling  your  ahipiiieiit  of  ; 
Ginseng  at  |8.oo  per  pound,  and  indose  herewith  $98.00.  Eight 
ddkrs  is  the  highest  offer  I  received  and  they  were  not  anxious  to 
take  it  at  that  price.  Chinese  exporters  will  not  handle  the  culti- 
vated root  at  all.  They  say  that  it  will  be  lower  a  month  from  now 
than  it  is  at  present  The  Chinese  ciaim  that  the  cultivaled  root  is 
not  as  good  as  the  wUd  loot,  and  rcAse  to  take  it  at  any  price. 


COHERENCE^  METHOD 


41 


The  uiMit  shipment  weired  twenty-four  and  seven  tenths 

pounds,  amounting  to  $197.60.  I  am  sending  you  your  note,  given 
January  22,  1906,  which  amounts  with  interest  to  $86.60;  a  receipt 
for  thirteen  dollars ;  my  certified  check  for  $98.00.  The  we^bt  is  a 
little  short  of  wliat  you  made  it,  but  I  think  their  weight  is  comet 
Pkase  acknowledge  receipt  and  oblige, 

Very  truly  yours, 

Oliver  Vincent. 

How  many  topics  does  the  writer  deal  with  in  the  above 
letter } 

What  are  they? 

•  Point  out  the  incoherence  in  the  writeri^arrangement  and 
method,  and  compare  his  treatment  with  thnallowing: 

140  Greene  St,  New  York, 

Nov.  X,  1907. 

C.  A.  Galway,  Esq., 

Clarendon,  Vermont. 
Dear  Sir : 

« 

In  accordance  with  your  instructions,  I  have  sold 
your  shipment  of  Ginseng  at  the  highest  figure  pro- 
curable, and  now  render  you  an  account  as  follows : 

24^  lb.  Ginseng  at  t&sxx     .      .      .  $ig^,6o 

Inclosures — 

Your  note  dated  Jan.  22, 1906,  ^82.75 
Interestonabove,9mos.,9ds.,    3.85  86.60 
My  certified  check  for .       .       .  98.00 
My  receipt  for    .      .      .      .     13.00  197.60 

I  have  indorsed  upon  your  note  for  $100.00^  dsited 
June  2,  1907,  a  payment  of  $13.00. 

It  was  with  difficulty  that  I  secured  $8.00  per 
pound.  Chinese  exportm  believe  that  the  cultivated 
root  is  inferior  to  the  wild,  and  they  refuse  to  handle 
it  at  alL  You  will  obsorve  that  the  weight  is  a  little 
short  of  what  you  made  it.    I  weighed  the  shipment 


42 


THE  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 


on  accurate  grocers'  scales  and  made  it  just  24^^ 

pounds,  so  I  presume  there  was  a  slight  shrinkage  in 
transit 

I  trust  you  will  find  this  accounting  satisfactory. 
Kindly  acknowledge  receipt 

Very  truly  yours, 

Oliver  Vincent 

Courtesy  is  one  of  the  most  essential  qualities  of  a  good  letter. 
The  writer  should  maintain  his  own  dignity  by  properly  re- 
specting the  digi^  of  others.  Rudeness,  curtness,  sarcasm^^ 
are  even  more  in^^sable  in  writing  than  they  are  in  conversa- 
tion.  The  writ^gfn  page  remains  when  the  spoken  word  is  for- 
gotten. N^^ount  of  stress  is  too  great  to  emphasize  the  fact 
that  one  slpuld  never  write  a  letter  upon  a  momentary  impulse, 
without  4ispassionately  considering  the  issues  at  stake.  Calm- 
ness is  one  of  the  most  noticeable  attributes  of  a  gentleman. 
Courtesy  is  manly  without  being  abrupt,  polished  without  being 
effusive.  r 

Letters  of  complaint  especially  call  for.  calm  and  courteous 
treatment 

312  Mead  Avenue, 

Passaic,  N.  J.,  Dec  20,  1909. 

John  Wanamaker, 
New  York. 

Dear  Sir:  On  Saturday  last  I  boi^t  at  your  store  four 
yards  of  blade  anq>ede  Chine.  The  goods  have  not  been  delivered, 
and  the  delay  has  caused  me  great  inconvenience.  This  is  not  the 
first  time  I  have  been  annoyed  by  delay  in  your  deliveries. 

My  November  bill  contained  an  error  amounting  to  five  doUais 
and  forty  cents  in  your  fiivor.  I  sent  the  l»ll  bade  for  comctlmi. 
To-day  I  received  a  «<please  remit"  for  the  amount  of  the  original 
bin.  Must  I  be  continually  annoyed  by  blunders  of  this  character  ? 

Yours  truly, 

(Misf)  L.  £•  Stems. 

A  curt,  sharp  letter,  such  as  the  above,  might  easily  provoke 
a  like  reply. 


COURTESY 


43 


Do  you  find  anything  in  the  following  letter  which  would 
tend  to  give  offense  to  a  valuable  customer? 

Does  it  exemplify  courtesy  and  at  the  same  time  maintain  the 
writer's  dignity  ? 

New  York,  Dec,  21,  1909. 
Miss  L.  E.  Stems, 

312  Mead  Ave., 
Passaic,  N.  J. 

Dear  Madam :  —  We  beg  to  inform  you  in  reply  to 
your  letter  of  the  20th  instant  that  the  crepe  de  Chine 
has  been  sent  by  special  delivery.  Upon  investigation 
we  found  that  the  delay  in  delivery  was  caused  by  a 
mistake  on  the  part  of  our  saleswoman  in  taking  your 
address. 

Our  billing  clerk  explains  that  the  error  of  II5.40 
in  your  November  bill  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
credit  memorandum  for  the  Oak  Rocker,  which  you 
had  purchased  for  the  above  amount  and  which  you 
returned  on  November  28,  did  not  reach  our  counting 
room  until  after  the  bills  for  that  month  had  been 
made  out  Proper  evidence  of  this  returned  purchase 
would  have  appeared  in  our  statement  of  your  Decern^ 
ber  account,  but  we  inclose  herewith  your  November 
bill  revised  in  conformity  to  your  wishes. 

Please  accept  our  thanks  for  advising  us  of  the 
mistakes  above  referred  to.  We  regret  the  inconven- 
ience you  have  suffered,  and  we  trust  there  will  be  in 
the  future  no  recurrence  of  similar  errors.  ^ 

Very  truly  yours, 

John  Wanamaker. 

Per  M.  M.  Baker. 

The  following,  taken  (with  the  exception  of  the  names)  from 
the  actual  correspondence  of  a  large  shoe  manufacturing  con- 
cem,  iUustrates  the  ill-advised  letter  written  under  the  stress  of 
annoying  circumstances. 


44 


THE  WORDING  OF  A  LETTER 


Syncosfi^  N.  Y.,  Jan.  31, 1905. 

Tlic  Richardson  Shoe  Company, 

Binghamton,  N.  Y. 

Gents,  — Rip,  rip,  rip !  is  the  order  of  things  with  us  since 
we  i^ved  that  last  case  of  so-called  ladies' fine  shoes.  Wlvitare 
th^  made  of,  an)rway  ?  Is  it  leather,  or  an  imitation,  and  what  did 
yon  use  for  stitching,  paper  or  thread  ? 

Our  patrons  are  returning  shoes  from  that  case  on  an  average 
of  three  pairs  a  day.  What  do  you  suppose  we  are  going  to  do 
with  such  shoddy  ?  We  thought  you  were  real  shoe  men  n^o  un- 
derstood their  hnsiness.  We  expect  to  hear  firom  you  right  away, 

Yours,  etc., 

Edward  Walsh  &  Sons. 

The  sarcastic  reply  which  such  a  letter  as  the  foregoing 
might  provoke  is  exemplified  in  the  following.  Nothing  is  to 
be  gained  by  such  a  retort.  The  writer  falls  to  the  level  of  his 
correspondent,  accomplishes  nothing,  and  perhaps  drives  away 
a  good  cu8tc»nec 

Bmgfiamton,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  a,  1905. 

Messrs.  £dward  Walsh  &  Sons. 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Gentlemen,  —  Your  very  kind  favor  of  the  31st  ultimo  is 
received  and  we  are  obliged  to  you  for  your  pleasant  way  of  putting 
things.  Your  letter  comes  to  us  as  a  beautiful  sunbeam  on  a  daric 
day.  You  must  have  had  quite  an  mspiration  to  enable  you  to 
write  such  a  gem. 

Now  when  you  get  cooled  off  and  can  come  down  to  business, 
send  us  the  shoes  returned  to  you,  together  with  the  balance  of  the 
defective  case,  and  we  will  see  whether  we  can  do  anything  for  you. 
Again  thai^di^  you  for  your  fiivor,  we  ai^ 

YouiB  truly, 

The  Richardson  Shoe  Company. 

* 

In  replying  to  Edward  Walsh  &  Sons  the  writer  should  have 
completely  ignored  their  contemptuous  tone,  and  should  have 
been  dignified  and  courteous.  The  careful  correspondent  would 
have  displayed  no  temper  or  dissatisfaction,  but  would  have 
written  somewhat  as  follows : 


COURTESY 


45 


Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  2,  1905. 

Messrs.  Edward  Walsh  &  Sons, 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Gentlemen: — Replying  to  your  favor  of  the 
31st  ultimo,  we  are  sorry  to  learn  that  you  are  having 
trouble  with  the  last  case  of  shoes  we  shipped  you.  We 
are  surprised  that  there  should  be  any  defect  in  these 
goods,  for  they  had  the  usual  careful  inspection  you  are 
aware  all  our  goods  receive.  All  our  inspectors  are  men 
of  long  experience,  and  we  pay  them  large  salaries  to 
prevent  conditions  such  as  you  have  had  to  meet. 

We  regret  the  annoyance  and  inconvenience  suf- 
fered, and  if  you  will  return  •  to  us  by  express,  at  our 
expense,  all  of  the  defective  shoes,  we  shall  take  pleas- 
ure in  giving  you  full  credit  for  their  cost  We  will 
make  a  thorough  investigation  into  the  cause  of  this 
failure  in  our  materials  and  workmanship,  and  use  our 
utmost  endeavors  to  locate  the  fault  and  apply  a  remedy. 
An  early  reply  will  oblige  us. 

Very  truly  yours, 

The  Richardson  Shoe  Company. 

The  following  is  a  copy,  slightly  modified,  of  a  letter  actually 
sent  out  by  a  large  business  firm;  the  student  will  profit  by 
studying  it  as  an  example  of  initiative  courtesy: 

New  York,  March  i,  1905, 

Miss  Helen  Tracy, 

Dear  Madam  :  —  Without  imposing  the  penalty  of 
the  slightest  obligation,  but  rather  as  a  mark  of  appre- 
cmtton  to  those  to  whom  we  owe  much,  we  invite  the 
public  school  teachers  of  this  city  to  present  their  salary 
checks  to  our  Department  of  Accounts  for  payment 
\     We  trust  you  will  be  disposed  to  accept  this  service. 

Respectfully  yours, 
Dept.  of  Accounts,  Palmer-Hilliard  Co. 

Main  Floor  Balcony. 


IV.  FOLDING  AND  ADDRESSING  LETTERS 


Piper.  —  There  are  two  sizes  of  business  letter  paper  which 

are  now  used  to  the  practical  exclusion  of  all  others.  The  larger 
si?e  is  approximately  8^  by  10}  inches ;  and  the  smaller,  note 
or  memorandum,  size,  though  it  varies  greatly,  is  usually 
about  8^  by  5^  inches.  The  larger  size  is  used  td-day  almost 
universally  for  business  letters. 

Folding.  —  In  folding  a  letter  sheet  of  the  larger  size  the  fol- 
lowing method  has  the  advantage  of  being  both  simple  and  con- 
venient. Note  each  step 
carefully.  ( i )  Turn  the 
lower  edge  up  to  within 
half  an  inch  of  the  top 
(Fig.  I ),  then  press  down 
the  fold  hrmly,  taking 
care  to  keep  the  side 
edges  exactly  even ; 
(2)  turn  the  paper  so 
that  the  folded  edge  will 
be  at  your  left  hand; 

(3)  fold  from  you,  as  before,  a  little  less  than  one  third  the 
width  of  the  letter  sheet  (Fig.  2); 

(4)  fold  the  upper  edge  down  toward 
you  so  that  it  projects  a  trifle  beyond 
the  folded  edge  nearest  to  you.  The 
last-mentioned  slightly  projecting 
edge  makes  it  easier  to  open  the 
last  two  folds,  while  the  half-inch 
margin  left  at  the  top  of  the  sheet 
facilitates  the  opening  of  the  fold 
that  was  first  made  approximately 
across  the  middle  of  the  sheet  Fia  s 


Fig.  X 


TNE  ENVELOPE 


47 


The  letter  now  lies  exactly  as  it  should  before  being  placed  in 
the  envelope.  It  may  be  properly  inserted  in  the  following 
manner :  Hold  the  envelope 
in  your  left  hand  with  the 
back  of  it  uppermost  and 
the  flap  opening  toward  the 
right;  then,  taking  in  your 
right  hand  the  letter  as  it 
lay  after  folding,  without 
turning  it  over,  insert  it, 
putting  in  first  the  edge 
that  was  folded  last  (Fig.  3). 
Only  envelopes  of  such  size 
should  be  used  as  will  neatly,  but  not  too  closely,  fit  the  letter 
sheet  after  it  has  been  correctly  folded. 

The  advantages  of  this  method  are  obvious:  (i)  when  so 
folded  a  letter  may  be  inserted  in  the  envelope  and  removed 
from  it  with  ease ;  (2)  when  the  receiver  has  removed  it  in  the 
usual  manner,  by  cutting  the  upper  edge  of  the  envelope,  the 
letter  unfolds  right  side,  up  and  ready  for  him  to  read. 

The  smaller  size  paper  is  folded  in  two  different  ways :  ( i )  If 
it  is  used  as  a  long,  narrow  sheet,  that  is,  with  the  shorter 
edges  at  top  and  bottom,  it  should  always  be  of  such  width 
as  will  not  exceed  the  length  of  the  envelope.  The  lower  edge 
should  be  folded  from  you  a  little  less  than  one  third  the  length 
of  the  sheet ;  the  upper  edge  should  then  be  folded  so  that  it 
projects  slightly  beyond  the  folded  edge  at  the  bottom  and 
nearest  to  you.  It  is  to  be  inserted  in  the  envelope  as 
scribed  above.  (2)  When  this  size  paper  is  used  as  a  short, 
wide  sheet,  that  is,  with  the  shorter  edges  at  the  sides,  it  k 
sometimes  cut  so  that  it  is  longer  from  top  to  bottom  than  the 
length  of  an  ordinary  envelope.  In  such  a  case  it  is  proper 
to  fold  up  the  lower  edge  as  far  as  is  necessary  to  make  the 
distance  between  the  top  of  the  sheet  and  this  fold  slightly  less 
than  the  length  of  the  envelope ;  then  proceed  as  described  above. 

The  Envelope.  —  Care  spent  in  addressing  the  envelope  of  a 
letter  amounts  to  an  insurance  of  its  undelayed  transmission 


4 


48  FOLDING  AND  ADDRESSING  LETTERS 


and  proper  delivery.  While  many  thousands  of  letters,  be- 
cause they  are  incorrectly  or  incompletely  addrestedi  go  to 
the  Dead  Letter  Office  every  month  in  this  country  alone,  com- 
paratively few  adequately  addressed  letters  are  lost  or  wrongly  . 
delivered  by  the  postal  authorities.  It  must  be  evident  to  every 
one  that  an  inadequate  or  incorrect  address  upon  an  envelope 
defeats  the  very  purpose  of  a  letter ;  that  any  effort  made  in 
the  composition  of  a  letter  so  addressed  is  absolutely  thrown 
away ;  and  that,  moreover,  not  only  is  time  and  labor  lost,  but 
opportunities  destroyed  and  possible  advantages  wasted.  The 
parts  of  an  address  when  correctly  written  attract  little  notice, 
but  when  they  are  incorrect  or  incomplete,  their  importance 
becomes  momentous.  The  continued  and  increasing  difficulties 
encountered  by  postal  clerks  everywhere,  as  a  result  of  illegible 
or  incorrectly  spelled  addresses,  seem  to  demand  the  i4Mlhition 
of  a  number  of  facts  that  should  be  matters  of  common  knowl- 
edge. 

The  name  should  be  written  as  it  is  in  the  inside  address, 
that  is,  with  reference  to  spelling  and  the  use  of  initials,  as 
the  addressee  himself  is  accustomed  to  write  it.  The  same 
careful  distinction  with  regard  to  titles  should  be  exercised. 
The  other  parts  of  the  address  should  be  such  as  to  render 
the  delivery  of  a  letter  to  the  right  person  easy  and  sure. 
Nothing  essential,  such  as  the  street  and  house  number,  in  cities 
and  large  towns,  or  the  county  of  small  towns  and  villages, 
should  be  omitted.  In  writing  the  abbreviatjions  of  the  names 
of  states,  the  greatest  care  should  be  taken  always  to  use 
only  the  official  abbreviations  which  are  given  on  page  51. 
Other  abbreviatk>ns,  such  as  Col."  and  Cal.,"  when  carelessly 
written,  can  not  be  distinguished.  When  street  and  house 
number  are  given,  it  is  best  to  place  them  on  a  separate  line ; 
likewise,  usually,  the  name  of  a  state  when  it  is  spelled  in  full. 
But  it  is  impossible  to  frame  rigid  rules  that  will  meet  every 
contingency  of  form.  The  principle  of  graceful  arrangement 
and  balance  should,  as  shown  in  the  examples  (pp.  49-52), 
govern  the  location  and  distribution  of  the  various  parts.  Note 
that  the  name  is  always  written  centrally  on  the  envelope,  and 


THE  ENVELOPE  49 

• 

that  the  order  of  the  address  is  name,  street  and  house  number, 
town,  couAty  (if  any  is  required)^  state  or  country. 

No  matter  unnecessary  for  the  finding  of  the  person  in 
question  should  be  included  in  the  address,  but  all  such  words 
as  "Personal,"  "Forward,"  "Transient,"  etc.,  should  be  placed 
in  the  lower  left-hand  corner.  Here  also  in  unmailed,  unsealed 
letters  of  introduction,  are  placed  the  words  "  Introducing  Mr. 
Thomas,"  or  the  like. 


Mr*  J.  Bobsrt  Callen, 


The  postal  authorities  urgently  request  the  placing  of  a  re- 
turn address  —  the  post  office  address  of  the  sender  —  upon 
the  upper  left-hand  comer  of  all  letters.  This  insures  their 
return  without  passing  through  the  Dead  Letter  Office  if  not 
delivered  in  thurty  days ;  but  the  sender  may,  at  his  own  dis- 
cretion,  request  that  an  undelivered  letter  be  returned  in  three, 
four,  or  any  larger  specified  number  of  days  best  adapted  to  his 
purposes,  and  the  postal  authorities  will  honor  his  request. 
No  undelivered  letters,  however,  will  be  returned  in  less  than 
three  days.  Most  business  houses  now  use  envelopes  upon 
which  their  name  and  address,  as  well  as  directions  for  the 
time  of  returning,  are  printed 

The  envelope  should,  of  course,  fit  the  letter  sheet  when  it 

COM.  CORRESPOND£NC£ — 4  ^ 


FOLDING  AND  ADDRESSING  LETTERS 


has  been  properly  folded;  it  should  also  harmonize  with  the 
letter  paper  in  color  and  quality. 


• 

■Mm*  MMd  A  km 

Obil 

UltOt  111* 

» 

Punctuation  of  an  Address.  —  The  parts  of  an  address  are 
separated  by  commas,  as  shown  in  the  illustratiohs.    Titles  tba^ 

follow  the  name  are  set  off  by  commas. 


Ebn.  Walter  M.  Bradley* 

Houae  of  Bepr«MBteti¥e8, 

MhinftOB*  0«  €• 

OOHdttM  Of  H 

>* 

• 

The  United  States  Official  Postal  Guide  furnishes  the  fol- 
lowing list  of  correct  abbreviations  for  the  names  of  the  states, 


THE  ENVELOPE 


SI 


territories,  and  possessions  of  the  United  States.  The  postal 
authorities  earnestly  desire  that  these  and  no  other  abbrevia- 


1 

/ 

Mr.  ttvard  B.  Levitt 

• 

Pension  Constant  in. 

neaee  forward  c/o 

10  Via  SolflMTlaOv 

SohMlDnr  k  00*9 

MBBhen.  Qmm 

ngr*                       w%xmm^  X%s]jr« 

tions  be  used 

in  addressing  all  letters  and  packages  intended 

for  transn^ssion  through  the  mails. 

Alabama      .  . 

.  Ala. 

Louisiana     .  . 

.  La. 

North  Dakota, 

N.  Dak. 

Arizona  .    .  • 

Ariz. 

Maryland     .  . 

.  Md. 

Oklahoma    .  , 

.  Okla. 

Arkansas     .  . 

Ark. 

Massachusetts  . 

Mass. 

Pennsylvania  , 

.    .  Pa. 

California    .  • 

.  Cal. 

Michigan    .  • 

Mich. 

Porto  Rioo  .  . 

.    P.  R. 

Colorado  •   .  . 

Cob. 

Ifinnesota  .  . 

B^n. 

Rhode  Island  , 

.  R.I. 

Connecticut  •  . 

Conn. 

Mississippi  .  . 

Miss. 

South  Carolina, 

S.  C. 

Delaware     .  . 

.  Del. 

Missouri  •    .  . 

.  Mo. 

South  Dakota 

.  S.  Dak. 

Dist.  of  Columbia,  D.  C. 

Montana  •    •  • 

Mont. 

Tennessee  •  . 

.  Tenn. 

Florida  .   •  . 

.  Fk. 

Nebnttka    •  . 

Nebr. 

Ti^aui     •  •  • 

Tex. 

.  Ga. 

Nevada  .   .  . 

Nev. 

VeroKMit .  • 

.   .  Vt. 

Illinois    .    .  . 

.  111. 

New  Hampshire, 

N.H. 

Virginia  .  . 

.    .  Va. 

Indiana   .    .  . 

.  Ind. 

New  Jersey  .  . 

N.  J. 

Washington 

.  Wash. 

Indian  Territory,  Ind.T. 

New  Mexico,    N.  Mex. 

West  Virginia, 

W.  Va. 

Kansas 

Kans. 

New  York    .  . 

N.  Y. 

Wisconsin  .  . 

.  Wis. 

Kentudqr    .  . 

.  Ky. 

North  Caiolka . 

N.  C. 

Wyonung  . 

.  Wyo. 

The  following  should  not  be  abbreviated : 

Alaska.         Hawaii.         Iowa.  Ohio.  Samoa. 

Guam.  Idaho.  Maine*         Orq2;on.  Utah. 


52 


FOLDING  AND  ADDRESSING  LETTERS 


'  The  Stamp.  —  The  stamp  should  be  placed  nowhere  but  in 
the  upper  right-hand  comer  of  the  face  of  the  envelope.  It 


• 

• 

should  be  neatly  and  firmly  attached  right  side  up  in  such  a  way 
that  the  edges  of  the  stamp  approxunately  c<»ncide  with  the 
edges  of  the  envelope.    When  there  is  apy  doubt  whatever 

.   t  \  \  . 


about  the  weight  of  a  letter,  care  should  be  taken  to  ascertain 

it  and  fully  prepay  the  postal  charge. 


EXEJiCISES  53 

Custom  and  courtesy  require  that  letters  to  disinterested 

persons,  especially  letters  asking  favors  or  information  which 
will  not  result  in  mutual  advantage,  should  contain  a  stamp 
or  self-addressed  stamped  envelope  for  reply.  Such  inclosed 
stamp  should  be  attached  to  the  letter  sheet  somewhere  on  the 
upper  margin.  Even  when  care  has  been  properly  exercised  in 
only  slightly  dampening  one  corner  of  the  stamp,  it  not  infre- 
quently adheres  firmly  to  the  paper,  and  as  a  result  becomes 
useless  to  the  receiver.  For  this  reason  the  self-addressed 
stamped  envelope  is  preferable.  It  has,  moreover,  these  ^added 
advantages :  it  is  ready  for  use,  and  it  makes  mistake  in  the 
address  impossible. 

All  ordinary  business  communications,  except  letters  of  intro- 
duction and  recommendationt  should  be  carefully  and  neatly 
sealed. 

EXERCISES 

Write  die  foUowing  envelope  addresses : 

1.  Mr.  £.  S«  Gush  man,  Delhi  Mills,  Mich. 

2.  F.  B.  Kenyon,  Esq.,  24  E.  Dean  St.,  Lockport,  N.  Y. 

3.  Hamilton  Brown,  Ph.D.,  ""/o  W.  H.  Wentworth,  Esq.,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

4.  Hon.  John  B.  Goodrich,  Penn  Park,  cor.  H  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

5.  Miss  Elizabeth  Duncan,  Vassar  College.  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

In  order  to  give  the  student  practice  in  punctuation  as  well  as  in  fcMrm  and 
arrangement,  the  punctuation  marks  have  been  omitted  from  the  following 
esBeincises  * 

6.  Mrs  Henry  W  French  Box  24  Cavour  Beadle  Co  S  Dak 

7.  Messrs  J  C  Bradstreet  &  Co  about  400  Bioadway  New  York 

8.  Kansas  City  Journal  Journal  Building  cor  loth  and  Walnut  Sts 
Kansas  City  Mo 

9.  Mr  Silas  M  Joslin  R  F  D  No  3  Fillmore  N  Y 

10.  Mr  Carl  L  Parker  ^/o  Dresdener  Bank  Hamburg  Germany 

11.  Miss  L  M  Pinto  Pentton  Hnto-Sloiey  Paico  Mai]g^ta  Napol^ 

12.  Advertiser  Herald  Down  Town  City 

13.  Philip  J  HoBaiid  D  D  The  Iroquois  Buffalo  N  Y  Please  forward. 


54  FOLDING  AND  ADDRESSING  LETTERS 

14.  IW  George  C  Ostrander  Syracuse  N  Y  General  delivery 

15.  Mr  Peter  Henderson  Detroit  Mkh  Transient 

16.  William  W  Duncan  Fayerweathcr  Hall  Yale  University  New  Haven 
Conn  Deliver  to  addressee  only 

17.  Mr  Washington  Howe  Houston  Texas  After  one  week  PM  will  pir^ff 
forward  to  Dallas  Teios 

18.  Mr  Howard  C  Hoyt  Ziebland  Strasse  13  Miinchen  Germany  via  Steam- 
ship Caronia 

19.  Rev  Cuthbert  W  King  in  care  of  Wellington  M  Tinker  American 
Consul  at  Chefoo  China  via  Shanghai 

20.  William  L  Downs  Room  672  Lords  Court  Building  27  Williams  St 
New  York 

21.  Frederick  M  Pease  Esq  Vo  American  Express  Company  2  Waterloo 
Place  London  Ei^  After  Jan  26  forward  to  Thomas  Cook  &  Son  Fkiraioe  Italy 


V.   LETTERS  ORDERING  GOODS 

Inexactness,  incompleteness,  and  kclu  of  method  in  lettors 

ordering  goods  are,  day  after  day,  the  cause  of  a  vast,  and  yet 
at  the  same  time  wholly  unnecessary,  amount  of  misunderstand- 
ing, delay,  annoyance,  and  financial  loss.  The  complexity  of 
modern  business  requires  the  most  painstaking  care  in  handling 
this  important  branch  of  business  correspondence;  for,  to  be 
negligent  about  the  very  definite  requirements  of  a  letter  order- 
ing goods  is  not  (mly  to  impose  nMdlessly  upon  the  time  and 
good  nature  of  your  correspondent,  but  is  also  to  subject  your- 
self to  serious  inconvenience  in  case  of  misunderstanding  or 
mistake.  Letters  containing  such  vague  statements  as  "  Please 
duplicate  our  last  month's  order  of  tan  shoes  at  your  earliest 
convenience "  compel  the  receiver  to  accept,  perhaps  at  a  con- 
siderable waste  of  time  and  labor,  the  responsibility  of  determin- 
ing the  exact  nature  of  your  previous  order.  And  that  is  not  his 
business.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  writer  to  make  clear  his  needs, 
and  he  should  always  remember  that  his  carelessness  in  this 
particular  direction  must  ultimately  be  his  own  misfortune. 
Nothing  can  be  more  exasperating  than  to  receive  a  shipment, 
with  heavy  charges  for  express  or  freight,  only  to  find  that  it 
does  not  contain  the  styles,  sizes,  or  particular  articles  that  in  the 
business  need  of  the  moment  are  most  required.  But  if  the 
original  order  had  been  precise,  complete,  and  painstaking  in 
arrangement,  it  is  extremely  probable  that  such  a  costly  mistake 
would  never  have  been  made.  At  all  events,  if  the  writer  is 
sure  that  he  has  taken  all  possible  care  to  make  his  order  per- 
fectly adequate,  he  can  also  be  sure  that  the  entire  responsibility 
rests  upon  the  one  who  makes  up  the  shipment 

55 


56 


LETTKRS  ORDERING  GOODS 


Essential  Points.  —  Letters  ordering  goods  should  meet  all  the 
requirements^  which  have  been  previously  indicated  with  refer- 
ence to  commercial  letters  in  general ;  in  addition  there  are  five 
essential  points  that  should  never  under  any  circumstances  be 
neglected: 

1.  A  letter  ordering  goods  should  contain  a  clear,  precise, 
itemized  list  of  the  goods  required.  Each  separate  item  should 
occupy  a  single  line  or  sentence  by  itself.  The  arrangement  of 
an  order  in  an  itemized  column  is  doubly  important,  because  it 
not  only  presents  the*whole  order  in  a  clear  and  compact  form, 
but  also  facilitates  the  labor  of  filling  it,  since  each  item  can  then 
be  checked  off  when  it  is  ready  to  be  shipped,  and  the  chance  of 
omission  thereby  minimized. 

2.  The  quantity^  shape,  style,  and  size  should  be  stated  accord- 
ing to  the  system  employed  by  the  firm  from  whom  the  goods 
are  ordered.  If  a  catalogue  is  used  for  reference,  the  number 
and  date  of  that  catalogue  should  be  given,  to  avoid  possible 
confusion  with  earlier  or  later  editions. 

3.  Definite  directions  should  be  given,  stating  how  and  where 
the  goods  are  to  be  sent,  unless  a  previous  satisfactory  arrange- 
ment covering  this  point  has  been  made  with  the  shipper.* 
When,  as  often  occurs,  it  is  more  convenient  or  less  expensive 
for  the  buyer  to  receive  his  goods  from  some  particular  express 
company  or  railroad,  this  fact  should  be  made  clear.  When 
particular  directions  have  been  given,  and  an  order  is  sent  in 
some  other  way,  any  resulting  loss  falls  upon  the  shipper.  From 
the  shipper's  pdnt  of  view,  it  is  important  also  to  notice  that 
delivery  to  a  carrier  designated  by  the  buyer  is  equivalent  to 
delivery  to  the  buyer  himself. 

4.  In  the  case  of  a  first  order,  the  letter  should  contain  {a)  a 
remitUnce  covering  the  cost  of  the  goods  ordered,  or  {b)  satis- 
factory provisions  for  payment  upon  delivery,  or  {c)  a  statement 
of  affairs,  or  satisfactory  references  as  to  financial  responsibility, 
or  both. 

5.  When  it  is  necessary,  the  letter  should  state  the  time  limit 
within  which  the  goods  must  be  received. 

The  following  letter  shows  the  correct  form  in  ordering  goods  2 


nwowpoworgQ  MM.  vm  or  iiv.u«vs  . 


Marcli  9,1906. 


Iftly^,  Mm* 

Ommnit 

PI«as«  send  to  our  Itew  York  varehoiise  tha  followiags 
100  lbs.,  26  X  34,  64-pouxKl,  White  Wove  filank  Book. 
4  cases.l?  X  22,  24-pouQd,  500  steets  to  the  reai, 

I^ptrial  ZrUli  Uim. 
8  %oiiS«S5  X  9S,  60-poiaad«  Ugbt  nttursl  a^sr. 

tMl«d  ia  pMfkaf»s  o£  1000  sliMts  •aolu 

100  reanst  19  X  24,  24-pou2idL,  Broolctide  V^itiog, 
\u)8ealed»  markers  between  the  reams. 
Kindly  vtfke  the  shipment  1^  H.  Y.  I.  R.  6  H*  fiut  fzel^ 
nd  plMa  tut  oost  upon  our  acootait* 

Tours  tralar. 


57 


4 


58  LETTERS  ORDEliING  GOODS 

Observe  that  numerals  are  employed  in  giving  orders,  and 
that  it  is  customary  to  capitalize  tiie  uame  of  each  of  the  articles 
specified. 


C.W.  NWNT. 
W  r.  NUNT 
C  CHIMS 
a.M.  BLAHC. 


%rMT(RM  UNIM' 


Syracnse,  B.  T* 

literisg  to  •  iMBi  mmtvmklm  la  ov  Itv  tat  ofXlM.  «• 

ImA  you«  IWMWltli^  our  order  So.  49153  for  3  cmstix^  eaoh,  from  patttrss 
mm.  IMOft  Mi  alM  nm  ft  1».  I  a  la.  ivllaim).    IIM  9«ttmt  «iU  fo 
rorvard  to  you  la  a  dagr  or  tw* 

Vi  ohoiild  bo  glad  if  you  would  make  tbeie  as  sooo  aa  convanient, 
«A  after  iMflat  «nt  aa«  ant  aa  tto  yvioa  oa  tkaa»  oaatlaga,  togHhir 
with  tlM  prloa  for  alailar  oaoa  for  8  la.  X  6  in*  and  10  la*  Z  12  ia« 


la  nxuat  tl4«  oite,  kiadly  ylaaa  mm  ftlitlipilalli^  atil  or 

letter  ob  the  pattern,  so  that  your  castli^  will  not  confoaod  with 
tlMO  Biio  If  Mtbar  IMnAif  • 

foi?  tnUy  9oaro0 

0*  V.  Bunt  Company 


Bnrehaaiac  let* 

Orders  for  Manufacture.  —  Orders  for  goods  that  are  to  be 
manufactured  are  usually  made  out  on  forms  provided  for  that 
purpose.  Such  orders  call  for  a  very  specific  description  of  the 
articles  wanted.  The  foregoing  genuine  letter  supplements  an 
order  for  articles  to  be  manufactured. 


EXERCISES  59 

Acknowledging  Orders.  —  Unless  the  goods  can  be  delivered 
before  a  letter  could  be  received  by  the  buyer,  all  orders  should 
be  acknowledged  without  delay.  It  is  due  the  purchaser  to 
know  whether  his  order  has  been  received  and  can  be  filled  ex- 
actly within  the  required  time.  It  is  also  to  his  advantage  to 
know  just  when  the  goods  are  shipped,  in  order  that  he  may 
promptly  institute  an  investigation  with  the  carrier  if  they 
do  not  arrive.  Some  business  houses  have  partly  printed  blanks 
for  the  purpose  of  acknowledgment,  while  others  send  an  invmce. 
But  unless  this  invoice  states  the  date,  or  probable  date,  of  ship- 
ment, the  buyer  is  left,  jf  any  delay  occurs,  in  a  state  of  uncer- 
tainty as  to  whether  the  consignor  or  the  carrier  is  responsible. 
It  is  possible  to  combine  advantageously  both  these  methods, 
sending  a  card — or  preferably  a  letter— of  acknowledgment 
when  an  order  has  been  received,  and  an  invoice  upon  the  date 
of  shipment 

EXERCISES 

I.  After  consulting  the  model  on  page  57,  copy  the  feUowiiig  letter,  giv- 
ing to  each  of  the  different  parts  its  jmper  positioa. 

Bdfido,  N.  Y.,  June  20,  1905.  Messrs.  Lemon,  Bach  &  Co.,  443  Green- 
wich St.,  New  York.  Gentlemen :  Please  send  by  N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R. 
fiist  freight,  in  original  boxes,  4  cases  14  x  26  French  Plate  Clear,  first  qual- 
ity, double  thick;  5  cases  12  x  24  Frendi  Plate  Clear,  second  quality,  single 
thick;  18  cases  12x24  French  Plate  Clear,  second  quality,  single  thick. 
We  prefer  not  to  have  you  draw  on  us.  We  expect  60  days^  credit  on  this 
purchase,  and  we  wUl  remit  promptly  after  that  tune.  Yours  traly,The  Stand- 
ard Chemical  Co.,  per  (your  own  name). 

Turn  to  page  46  and  fold  this  letter  in  accordance  with  the  directions 
ghren,  then  insert  it  in  aa  envdbpe  properly  addressed. 

'2.  Order  by  letter  of  McGraw  &  Ellbtt,  25d  St.  and  Shrth  Avenue,  New 
York,  18  Alligator  Hand  Bags,  size  14,  style  40 ;  6  Steamer  Trunks,  size  38, 
style  123.  Direct  them  to  ship  the  goods  by  D.  L.  &  W.  freight.  Sign  your 
own  name  to  the  l^ter  and  fold  it  properly. 

3.  Write  a  letter  to  Marshall  Ftdd  &  C6.,  Chicago,  III.,  ordering  2  doz. 
cakes  Pears  Soap ;  i  bottle  Roger  &  Gallet  Violet  Toilet  Water ;  i  pair  Vic- 
tor Skates,  size  10^;  i  copy  Sheiley^s  Poems,  Cambridge  Edition,  bound  in 


6o  LETTERS  ORDERING  GOODS 

red  vdhnn.   Date  the  letter  Dec.  19,  1906,  at  Vandalia,  111.   Direct  them  to 

make  shipment  by  United  States  Express  and  cliarge  tlie  cost  to  your  account. 

4.  Write  a  letter  ordering  three  different  articles.    Give  shipping  direc- 
tk»8  and  stale  when  and  how  you  will  make  payment. 

5.  Order  of  Ramsey  &  WiHiams,  Bd&st,  Ireland,  the  following:  10  dos. 

No.  H.  356  Fringed  Towels  ;  24  doz.  No.  C.  98  Chamois  Cloth  Dusters  ;  12  doz. 
No.  543  Ladies^  Shamrock  Lawn  Handkerchiefs;  6  pes.  No.  A.  21  Twilled 
Linen  Sheeting.  Direct  them  to  make  shipment  by  S.  S.  BsifaU  and  to  draw 
on  you  at  three  days*  idght  for  the  amount  of  the  invoice. 

6.  The  manufacturing  business  of  The  A.  W.  Spencer  Company  located  at 
West  New  Brighton,  Staten  Island,  receives  material  by  boat  from  the  Cold-  * 
well-Wilcox  CcHnpany,  Newbaigh,  N.  Y.  The  A.  W.  Spencer  Company  has 
made  arrangements  whereby  material  for  them  arriving  in  New  Yoric  will  be 
delivered  at  their  works  by  a  steamboat  line  operating  on  the  Kill  von  Kull, 
the  minimum  charge  for  transport  bdng  based  on  a  shipment  oi  600  pounds. 
They  accordingly  write  the  Coldwell- Wilcox  Company  to  allow  castings  to 
accumulate  until  that  weight  is  reached  before  making  a  shipment.  This  di- 
rection«  however^  does  not  supply  to  or^rs  fox  which  a  delivery  date  is  speci- 
fied. These  are  to  be  forwarded  r^^ardless  of  weight.  Write  the  letter 
required. 

7.  You  are  just  in  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  Hopkins  «&  Son,  Baltimore, 
Md.y  in  which  they  order  two  pieces  each  Blue  324,  Black  1765^  and  Pink  M 
33  in  quality  4586  Marseilles  Vdvet.  Write  them  that  you  will  ship  at  once 
the  Pink  and  Blue,  but  that  you  ane  entirely  sold  out  of  the  Black  in  this 
quality  and  will  not  receive  any  more  for  some  time.  Say  that  you  can  send 
than  Black  at  $1.07)  per  yard  in  quality  9324,  which  you  have  |xit  in  stods  to 
takt  the  place  of  quality  4586  in  this  color.   Ask  for  an  early  reply. 

8.  Hopkins  &  Son,  referred  to  in  question  7,  have  ordered  the  black  velvet 
of  another  house.  They  would,  however,  like  to  see  samples  of  your  quality 
9324  in  Gre^  Manxniy  Pinky  and  Blade  Prqaie  the  letter  required. 


VI.   REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES 

» 

Although  the  post  office  authorities  have  made  the  utmost 
efforts  to  point  out  the  danger  of  inclosing  currency  in  an  ordi- 
nary letter,  many  people  still  continue  to  do  so,  with  a  conse- 
quent aggregate  yearly  loss  of  thousands  of  dollars.  Money 
should  never^  under  any  circumstances  whatsoever^  be  remitted  as 
currency  (or  in  stamps,  except  for  the  payment  of  very  small 
amounts)  through  the  inedium  of  the  ordinary  mail  service.  Not 
only  are  these  unsafe  methods  of  remittance,  but,  in  using  them, 
the  sender  can  neither  retain  nor  receive  any  evidence  that  he 
has  sent  the  amount  in  question,  or  that  the  addressee  has 
received  it 

Before  considering  the  relative  value  of  the  several  compara- 
tively safe  ways  of  remitting  money  that  are  at  times  used  by 
business  men,  it  is  important  to  note  that  by  law  a  creditor  is 
entitled  to  receive,  at  his  own  residence  or  place  of  business, 
good  and  lawful  money  from  the  debtor.  This  being,  then,  the 
creditor's  right  and  privilege,  it  devolves  upon  the  debtor  to  use 
in  remitting  only  such  a  form  of  exchange  as  the  creditor  can 
convert  immediately  inta  cash  without  ^fAer  expense  or  inocMi- 
venience.  It  is  likewise  true  that  the  remitter  must  protect 
himself  against  fraud,  loss,  or  unnecessary  expense  in  the  pur- 
chase of  exchange.  Modern  business  methods,  moreover,  make 
indispensable  some  kind  of  a  receipt  for  every  amount  paid  out 

There  are  seven  ways  of  remitting  money  through  the  mails 
30  that  it  will  be  safe  in  transit,  but  not  all  are  adapted  to  the 
use  of  business  men.   They  are  the  following : 

1.  Registered  letter. 

2.  Postal  money  order. 

3.  Express  money  order. 

61 


62  REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES 

4.  Bill  of  exchange  or  bank  draft 

5.  Check : 

{a)  Personal  check. 

(b)  Personal  check  certified. 

6.  Cashier's  check. 

7.  Certificate  of  dqxMdt 

The  R^Elttered  Letter  brings  back  to  the  sender  a  receipt  show- 
ing that  the  letter  has  come  into  the  hands  of  the  addressee; 
but  it  is  important  to  note  that  it  does  not  furnish  any  direct 
proof  of  the  amount  inclosed.  If,  as  very  rarely  happens,  a 
registered  letter  is  lost  by  the  postal  authorities  and  can  not  be 
recovered,  they  are  liable  only  to  the  extent  of  twenty-five -dollars 
indemnity.  This  form  of  remittance  is  sometimes  used  for  send- 
ing small  amounts  of  cwency,  but  it  is  impracticable  f or  busi- 
ness  purposes,  not  only  because  it  leaves  the  amount  of  payment 
unproved)  but  also  because  it  involves  a  comparatively  large 
and  unnecessary  expense. 

The  Postal  Money  Order  furnishes  definite  evidence  of  the 
amount  remitted ;  but  it  does  not  upon  its  face  show  that  the 
money  has  actually  been  sent  by  the  remitter^  nor  does  it  give 
the  remitter  a  direct  receipt  from  the  receiver  for  the  amount 
involved.  For  the  purpose  of  identification  and  reimburse- 
ment in  case  the  order  is  lost  or  miscarried,  the  postal  authori- 
ties issue  a  coupon  receipt  bearing  the  number  and  amount 
of  the  order,  but  not  the  name  of  the  remitter.  The  postal 
money  order  is  an  impersonal  form  of  exchange  and  obviously 
t9o  inconvenient  and  expensive  to  be  used  extensively  in  ordi- 
nary business,  although,  in  connection  with  transactions  of  a  semi- 
commercial  character,  an  immense  amount  of  money  is  paid  in 
this  way  every  year. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  purchaser  of  a  money  order 
keeps  both  the  order  and  the  coupon  receipt,  or  sends  both  to 
his  correspondent.  Of  course  he  should  inclose  the  order  in  his 
letter  advising  his  correspondent  of  the  remittance,  and  he 
should  retain  the  coupon  receipt  at  least  until  the  receipt  of  the 
order  is  acknowledged. 


MONEY  QRDERSy  THE  BANK  DRAFT  63 

The  Express  Money  Order.  —  What  has  been  said  with  reference 
to  the  postal  money  order  is  also  true  of  the  express  money  order, 
save  that  the  latter  bears  upon  its  face  the  name  of  the  remitter 
and  must  be  indorsed  by  the  receiver.  It  thus  becomes  a  com- 
plete record  of  the  transaction,  although,  for  the  use  of  the 
sender,  it  is  practically  unavailable  as  such,  since  after  payment 
it  remains  the  property  of  the  company  issmng  it  Express 
companies,  like  the  postal  authorities,  give  to  the  purchaser  of 
an  order  a  coupon  receipt,  which,  however  effective  as  a  safe- 
guard against  loss,  is  usually  inadequate  for  business  purposes. 


Express  Money  Order 


The  Bank  Draft  may  easily  be  made  to  serve  as  a  receipt  by 
having  it  drawn  payable  to  the  order  of  the  remitter,  who  in 
turn  indorses  it  payable  to  the  person  who  is  to  receive  the 
money.  The  receiver  in  cashing  it  at  his  own  bank  must  also 
indorse  the  draft,  which  is  then  returned  to  the  bank  of  issue 
and  becomes  thereafter  available  to  the  refnitter  as  a  receipt. 
A  draft  to  be  used  for  remittance  should  always  be  drawn  in 
this  manner,  for  it  then  constitutes,  as  it  does  not  when  made 
payable  direct  to  the  person  who  is  to  receive  the  money,  a 
definite  and  complete  record  of  the  transaction  in  question,  giving 
the  amount,  the  name  of  the  remitter,  and  the  signature  of  the 
person  to  whom  the  money  has  been  sent.  The  draft,  howevor, 
is  impossible  as  a  universal  means  of  exchange,  because  it  neces^ 


tl 


64  REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES 

sitates  sending  to  the  bank  for  each  individual  draft  or  group  of 

drafts,  and  frequently  involves  considerable  expense. 

Owing  to  the  unusual  risk  of  loss  or  delay  involved  in  ocean 
traffic,  foreign  bills  of  exchange  are  written  in  triplicate  with  a 
proviso  expressed  in  the  body  of  the  draft  that  upon  payment  of 
any  one  of  the  series  the  others  become  invalid. 


Alliance  jBank. 


Bank  DiiAFr 


A  Persanal  Check  is  in  reality  nothing  else  than  a  form  of  sight 
draft  drawn  by  an  individual  upon  a  bank  in  which  he  has  de- 
posited a  certain  sufficient  sum  of  money.  The  chief  differencei 
then,  between  a  check  and  a  bank  draft  as  a  medium  of  exchange, 
is  that  a  check  is  issued  by  an  individual  and  carries  with  it, 
therefore,  only  the  surety  of  his  personal  credit,  while  a  bank 
draft,  since  it  is  issued  by  a  bank,  carries  with  it  the  prestige  of 
the  bank's  credit  A  bank  draft  drawn  upon  a  bank  k)cated  in 
a  financial  center  circulates  freely  without  cost  of  exchange ;  its 
use  is  consequently  preferable  to  that  of  a  personal  check  when 
the  remittance  is  to  be  sent  a  great  distance.  In  connection 
with  the  use  of  personal  checks,  the  question  o£  collection 
charges  is  of  great  importance.   (See  page  67.) 

For  the  remitter,  a  check  is  quite  as  safe  as  a  draft,  and  at 
the  same  time  it  is  much  more  economical  and  convenient  It 
is  personal  property  and  may,  as  long  as  there  is  money  in  the 
bank  to  meet  it,  be  made  out  at  any  time  or  under  any  circum- 
stances that  the  business  needs  of  the  drawer  may  dictate.  It 
is  also  a  complete  instrument  of  exchange,  for  it  bears  upon  its 


CHECKS 


65 


face  the  amounti  the  name  of  the  receiver,  and  the  signature  of 

the  remitter.  It  returns  into  the  hands  of  the  sender  indorsed 
with  the  signature  of  the  receiver,  thereby  becoming  a  personal 
receipt  for  the  amount  remitted.  No  check  or  draft  should  ever 
be  drawn  payable  to  bearer,  either  on  its  face  or  by  blank  in- 
dorsement, for  it  can  then  be  fraudulently  negotiated  by  any 
dishonest  person  into  whose  hands  it  may  fall,  much  more  easily 
than  when  it  is  made  payable  to  the  order  of  a  designated  payee. 


WOCM— T«W.  N.  V 


^  ' 


Personal  Check 


A  Certified  Check  is  merely  a  personal  check  across  the  face  of 

which  is  written  or  stamped  the  word  "  Good,"  or  "  Certified," 
dated  and  signed  by  the  cashier  (or  paying  teller)  to  show 


Certified  Q 


that  the  bank  holds  money  of  the  drawer  sufficient  to  cover 

the  check.  In  this  way  the  credit  of  the  bank  is  entailed  in  the 
issue  of  the  check,  which  comes  thereby  to  have  the  prestige  of 
a  bank  draft   The  fact  of  certification  increases,  as  it  were^  the 

COM.  CORRESPONDENCE  —  5 


66 


REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES 


financial  backing  of  the  check,  which,  as  a  result,  can  be  more 
easily  negptiated  than  an  ordinary  personal  check.  This  form 
of  exchange  is,  therefore,  an  exceedingly  convenient  means  of 
remitting  money  to  a  person  who  lives  at  a  distance  and  is  un- 
acquainted with  the  validity  of  the  remitter's  credit 

A  Cashier's  Check  is  a  check  drawn  by  a  cashier  upon  his  own 
bank.  As  a  means  of  exchange,  it  is  equivalent  to  a  certified 
check  or  bank  draft  Usually  it  is  issued  by  banks  in  great 
money  centers  like  New  York  instead  of  a  bank  draft,  because 
their  location,  unlike  that  smaller  outside  banks,  enables 
them  not  only  to  issue,  but  to  redeem  their  own  exchange.  It 
is  really  a  sight  draft  drawn  by  a  bsmk  upon  itself. 


Cashier's  Check 


A  Certificate  of  Deposit  is  a  form  of  receipt  issued  by  a  bank 
to  a  depositcMT  for  the  amount  of  his  deposit  when  it  is  not  his 


Certificate  of  Deposit 


COLLECT! W  AND  EXCHANGE 


purpose  to  draw  out  his  money  by  checks.  It  may  be  negoti- 
ated by  indorsqment  like  any  other  negotiable  in^^iuneat,  and 
is  occasionally  used  as  a' means  of  remittance. 

Collection  and  Exchange. — The  New  York  Clearing  House 
has  adopted  rules  which  require  that  all  members  of  the  Clear- 
ing House  Association,  as  well  as  all  banks  making  settlements 
through  the  Clearing  House,  charge  from  one  tenth  to  one 
fourth  of  one  per  cent  for  cashing  and  collecting  any  check  or 
draft  drawn  upon  an  outside  bank.  Checks  and  drafts  drawn 
upon  certain  large  cities  near  New  York,  such  as  Boston  and 
Philadelphia,  are,  at  the  discretion  of  the  paying  bank,  exempt 
from  this  charge.  Similar  rules,  with  reference  to  coUecticm 
charges,  govern  the  members  of  clearing  house  associations  in 
other  cities.  These  rules  are  not  arbitrary,  but  are  based 
upon  conditions  which  inevitably  result  from  the  inequality  of 
trade  between  different  parts  of  the  business  world ;  and  if  the 
student  would  understand  the  law  of  exchange,  which  is  the 
basis  of  all  collection  charges,  he  should  study  carefully  these 
conditions. 

Every  large  city  sells  extensively  to  smaller  places  in  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Its  sales  to  any  one  of  these  places  greatly 
exceed  its  purchases  from  that  place.  These  purchases  must 
be  paid  for,  and  consequently  various  forms  of  exchange  are 
constantly  moving  from  country  districts  ta  small  towns,  from 
small  towns  to  cities,  and  from  small  cities  to  large  cities.  The 
ultimate  converging  point  pf  this  movement  in  any  country 
its  largest  city  or  distributing  center,  which  in  the  United  States 
is  the  city  of  New  York.  In  oiaking  remittance  for  his  pur- 
chases in  the  city,  it  is  convenient  for  the  country  buyer  to  use 
hi$  own  check  upon  the  local  bank  in  which  his  money  is  de- 
posited. The  result  is  that  the  larger  cities  are  flooded  with 
local  checks  drawn  upon  banks  in  outlying  districts.  If  the 
same  volume  of  exchange  were  moving  toward  the  country  4is- 
tricts,  the  demand  in  the  city  for  drafts  upon  country  places 
would  equal  the  supply,  and  all  such  exchange  would  then  be 
accepted  at  its  face  value.  But  inasmuch  as  in  the  city  the  sup- 
ply of  country  checks  greatly  exceeds  the  demand,  the  city 


68 


REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES. 


banker  is  obliged  to  send  them  back  to  the  banks  upon  which 
they  are  drawn,  and  for  this  trouble  and  inconvenience  he  makes 
a  charge.  In  order  that  this  charge  may  be  uniform,  the  asso- 
ciation known  as  the  Clearing  House  has  adopted  the  rule  stated 
above. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  country  buyer,  in  making  remittance 
for  his  purchases,  will  be  required  by  his  dty  creditor  either  to 
pay  the  collection  charge  on  local  checks  or  to  use  such  exchange 
in  remitting  as  will  be  accepted  by  the  creditor's  bank  at  its  face 
value.  Inasmuch  as  New  York  is  the  largest  financial  center  in 
this  country,  drafts  on  New  York  banks  are  in  demand  every- 
where for  use  in  making  remittances.  This  demand  for  New 
York  exchange  it  is  the  business  of  th^  banker,  especially  the 
banker  outside  of  New  York,  to  supply.  He  is  eager,  therefore, 
to  accept  without  charge  all  checks  and  drafts  on  New  York, 
which  he  may  return  to  his  New  York  correspondent  and  for 
which  the  latter  will  give  him  credit.  If  the  amount  of  New 
York  exchange  purchased  by  the  country  banker  does  not  equal 
the  amount  issued,  the  difference  must  be  remitted  to  his  New 
York  correspondent  in  currency.  This,  then,  is  the  reason  why 
there  is  seldom  a  collectimi  charge  on  a  New  York  check  or 
draft  anywhere  in  the  United  States. 

A  check  or  draft  drawn  on  a  bank  in  a  place  of  lesser  finan- 
cial importance  will-  circulate  freely  at  par  within  the  limits 
prescribed  by  that  place's  financial  influence ;  beyond  that  sphere 
of  influence  such  exchange  begins  to  depreciate.  In  other  words, 
local  exchange  has  a  place  value,  and  this  fact  should  be  taken 
into  consideration  by  those  who  would  attempt  to  use  it  to  cancel 
an  indebtedness  in  some  other  part  of  the  world.  A  debtor 
in  Binghamton,  for  instance,  should  not  send  to  New  York  his 
personal  check  without  adding  to  the  amount  of  his  indebtedness 
a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  the  collection  charge  which  will  be  made 
at  the  creditor's  bank;  nor  should  a  debtor  in  Greenville,  111., 
send  to  his  Chicago  creditor  a  check  on  a  Greenville  bank  with- 
out making  a  like  provision  to  meet  the  collection  charge  that 
may  be  made  in  Chicago. 

This  law  of  trade  and  exchange,  that  is  in  operation  between 


A  LETTfiR  OF  JNCLQSURE 


different  places  in  the  same  country,  determines  also  the  price 

of  foreign  exchange.  If  a  draft  on  London  costs  in  New  York 
more  than  its  face  value,  this  simply  means  that  New  York  is 
buying  more  from  London  than  London  is  buying  from  New 
York,  and  that  London  exchange  is  in  demand  to  pay  the  differ- 
ence which  is  in  London's  favor.  On  the  other  hand,  if  foreign 
exchange  is  below  par  in  New  York,  it  is  an  indication  that  we 
are  selling  more  than  we  are  buying  ;  that  we  are  the  creditors, 
they  the  debtors,  and  that  New  York  is  receiving  a  larger  supply 
of  foreign  exchange  than  can  be  used  there. 

A  Letter  of  Inclosure  should  contain  a  precise  statement  of 
what  the  inclosure  is  and  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  sent 

A  letter  containing  a  remittance  should  always  contain  a 
statement  of  whether  the  remittance  is  in  the  form  of  a  check, 
draft,  note,  express  money  order,  €Mttie  like,  as  well  as  a  state- 
ment of  the  amount  of  the  remittance  and  of  how  it  is  to  be 
applied  to  the  account  or  accounts  of  the  sender.  If,  then,  by 
any  mistake,  the  wrong  remittance  is  inclosed,  a  statement  of  the 
form  in  which  it  has  been  sent  makes  it  easier  to  detect  the 
error ;  and,  if  the  amount  of  the  remittance  does  not  correspond 
with  the  amount  stated  in  the  letter,  immediate  inquiry  can  be 
made  into  the  cause  of  the  discrepancy. 

An  exact  statement  of  the  amount  inclosed  adds  to  the  facility 
with  which  a  remittance  can  be  bandied  and  properly  credited 
on  the  books  of  the  creditor ;  while,  in  cases  where  more  than 
one  debt  is  due,  a  statement  of  how  a  payment  is  to  be  applied  may 
sometimes  involve  an  issue  exceedingly  important  to  both  debtor 
and  creditor.  For  the  Statute  of  Limitations  operates  in  such  a 
way  as  to  bar  the  recovery  of  a  del^  after  the  lapse  of  a  certain 
number  of  years  —  six  years  in  many  states  (in  others  two,  three, 
four,  or  five) — from  the  date  upon  which  the  debt  fell  due,  if  no 
payment  of  any  kind  is  made  after  that  date  toward  paying  the 
debt  Now,  if  the  debtor  in  making  his  remittance  does  not 
state  exactly  how  the  payment  is  to  be  applied  to  his  accounts, 
the  creditor  may  generally  apply  it  as  he  sees  fit.  In  case  he 
does  apply  it  as  part  payment  of  an  old  debt,  that  dd>t  is  thereby 
revived  from  the  date  of  such  payment  for  another  period  of  six 


TO 


REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES 


years  (or  two,  three,  four,  or  five,  according  to  the  state).  But  a 
creditor  can  not  make  such  application  of  a  remittance  to  his 
own  advantage  if  the  debtor  states  for  what  part  of  his  indebt- 
edness he  wishes  the  remittance  to  be  part  or  complete  pay- 
ment For  a  payment  must  in  all  cases  be  applied  exactly  as 
the  debtor  directs. 


1 .  Write  a  letter  to  Rulif  V.  Lawreiicey  Freehold,  N.  J infonning  him. that 
you  have  effected  a  lease  of  his  fiurm,  for  a  yearly  cash  rental  oF  |6oo.oo^  to 

Milton  Webster,  whom  you  know  to  be  a  capable  and  reliable  man.  Inclose 
your  check  for  the  amount  of  the  first  quarterns  rent,  1^  your  conmussion  of 
3%»fi2.oo^fortnuisactiiigtiiehiisines8.  ^ 

2.  Write  a  letter  to  J.  W.  Flemming  &  Co.,  93  Great  James  St.,  Toronto, 
Out,  inclosii^  your  check  in  their  &vor  on  the  Second  Nati«Hiali)ank  of  your 
place  for  I961 .45,  the  amount  of  your  note  for  $90000  and  inteiSBt  Ask  them 

to  return  the  note. 

3.  Yon  have  meived  tiie  foUowing  invoice.  Write  a  letter  indomng  a 

New  York  draft  to  cover  the  amount  less     %  discount  for  prompt  payment 


TUMS:  nNWIir.NCTCASN. 

MWKf  eo  DAYSNoriMnkK*! 

rORCAMMItMft. 


BascH,  Cooper  »  Knauer, 


Morris  t< 


2000' 
2020' 
2038* 
3963' 
2913' 


1" 
5/4-^ 
578» 


Is  &  2s 


Flaln  Whit*  Oik 


148.50 
78.00 
38.00 
48.00 
50*00 


Car  #1B5D9  S»   A.  L. 


EXERCISES 


71 


4.  Write  a  letter  to  Charles  D.  ThoRias,  Mobile,  Ala.,  inclosing  a  draft 
drawn  by  the  Second  National  Bank  of  your  place,  Maurice  L.  Jenks,  Cash- 
ier, cm  the  Com  Exchange  Bank  of  New  York  for  I456.00  in  settlement  of 
your  account.  Also  write  the  draft  for  Cashier  Jenks,  making  it  payable  to 
your  order.  Indorse  the  draft  to  the  order  of  Charles  D.  Thomas.  See 
iUustration  below. 


Stephen  A.  Lndlow,  Canton,  Ohk>,  holds  two  of  your  notes,  z^gKffir 

ting  $100.00,  and  both  are  past  due.  You  also  owe  him  $150.00,  which  is  not 
covered  by  either  of  the  notes.  Send  him  a  remittance  of  $100.00,  giving 
very  definite  instnicdons  as  to  how  you  want  the  payment  applied.  Use  ex- 
change in  making  remittance  that  will  furnish  you  with  a  receipt  for  the 
money  paid. 

6.  Using  exchange  that  will  be  accepted  without  question  by  a  firm  to 
whom  you  are  unknown,  write  a  letter  to  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Company, 
1351  Broadway,  New  Yoric,  and  ask  them  to  tend  you  immediately  a  thousands 
mile  ticket. 

7.  Write  a  letter  to  a  bank  in  your  place,  in  whidi  it  is  assumed  you 

have  money  deposited,  ordering  a  draft  on  your  nearest  financial  center. 
Inclose  your  check  for  the  amount  of  the  draft  ordered,  adding  exchauge. 

8.  Remit  by  letter  to  Utz  &  Dunn,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  for  their  invoice  of 
shoes  of  recent  date,  amounting  to  $546.00,  purchased  on  terms  of  2%  discount 
in  ten  days,  net  thirty  days.  You  have  returned  one  case  of  shoes  because  it 
was  not  equal  in  quality  to  the  sample.   Deduct  the  cost  of  this  case,  $38.40, 


72  REMITTANCES  AND  INCLOSURES 


as  well  as  the  2  %  discount  for  payment  in  ten  days,  and  inclose  your  check 
for  the  amount  due. 

9.  The  Grand  Rapids  Furniture  Company,  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  shipped 
you  on  the  first  of  the  month  furniture  amoiuitiiig  to  $768.00,  on  terms  of  2% 
discount  in  thirty  days,  net  sixty  days.  You  find  that  you  will  not  haVe  the 
money  with  which  to  discount  this  bill.  Write  the  Grand  Rapids  Furniture 
Company  and  ask  them  if  they  will  accept  your  interest-bearing  note  for  thirty 
days,  and  allow  you  the  2%  discount  on  this  invoice. 

10.  The  Grand  Rapids  Furniture  Company  have  accepted  the  proposition 
mentioned  in  Exercise  9,  and  have  sent  you  a  bank  note  to  sign  and  return. 
Write  your  reply  to  their  letter  and  inclose  the  note. 

11.  The  premium  on  your  insurance  policy  No.  119,002  in  the  New  York 
Life  Insurance  Co.,  456  Broadway,  New  York,  amounting  to  $72^0,  falls  due 
September  8.  You  aie  aUowed  thhty  days'  grace,  and  charged  thirty  days' 
interest  on  the  premium  at  5%  if  you  do  not  pay  until  October  8.  Write  the 
letter  that  would  be  required  on  October  S  and  inclose  your  certified  check  for 
the  amount  of  the  premhim  and  uiteiest. 

12.  Remit  by  letter  $300.00  to  Herr  Hermann  Zwarg,  am  Hof  18,  Koln, 
Germany.   In  making  this  remittance,  use  exchange  that  will  be  accepted  in 

Cologne  (Koln  is  the  German  form  of  Cologne)  at  its  face  value. 

13.  Write  a  letter  to  the  Colonial  Bank,  66th  St.  &  Broadway,  New  Yoik, 
and  inclose  for  deposit  the  following:  A.  J.  Wilson's  check  drawn  to  your 
order  on  the  Furst  National  Bank  of  Bu&lo,  $345.00 ;  Charles  T.  GWs 
dieck,. drawn  to  the  order  of  Robert  Steele,  and  by  Steele  indorsed  to  you,  on 
the  Herkimer  National  Bank,  $189.75  ;  draft  No.  345,  drawn  by  the  Fourth 
National  Bank  of  Pittsburg  on  the  Corn  Exchange  Bank  of  New  York, 
$322.50.   IndiNfse  the  checks  and  draft  to  the  Cotonlsd  Bank. 


VII.    CREDITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 


Not  only  is  there  no  uniform  practice  in  handling  credits  and 
accounts,  but  some  houses,  especially  in  the  retail  trade,  have 
no  consistent  policy  either  in  extending  credit  or  in  making  col- 
lections. The  reason  for  such  a  difference  in  custom  may  be 
looked  for  in  two  circumstances:  first,  the  commercial  and  finan- 
cial status  of  credit  customers  is  different  in  different  kinds 
of  business;  second,  the  rigor  with  which  a  credit  policy  is 
maintained  will  often  be  determined  by  a  firm's  supply  of  capital, 
or  by  the  activity  of  the  money  market  It  is  also  sometimes 
greatly  influenced  by  individual  caprice. 

If  all  of  a  firm's  customers  occupy  similar  positicms  finan- 
cially, a  uniform  policy  may  be  adopted  and  successfully  carried 
out  The  patrons  of  a  wholesale  or  a  manufacturing  business 
are  themselves  usually  business  men  who  have  capital,  credit, 
and  a  business  reputation ;  credit  relations  with  them  may,  there- 
fore, be  established  upon  a  definite  basis,  and  the  procedure  in 
any  given  case  will  be  the  result  of  that  well-defined  understand- 
ing which  a  wholesaler  or  manufacturer  always  has  with  his  cus- 
tomers. Upon  all  invoices  and  statements  will  be  found  the 
terms  of  the  sale.  The  credit  period  of  different  houses  may 
vary,  but  it  is  always  definite.  The  date  upon  which  the  buyer 
agrees  to  pay  is  fixed,  and  default  of  payment  upon  that  date 
will  usually  result  in  the  creditor's  sending  a  statement  bearing, 
stamped  upon  it,  some  reminder  of  the  debtor's  delinquency, 
such  as,  ''Duplicate,''  "Please  remit,"  or  the  like;  or  he  may 
send  a  form  letter,  a  personal  letter,  or  even  draw  a  draft  upon 
the  delinquent  and  send  it  through  the  banks  for  collection. 
Just  which  method  the  creditor  will  employ  in  any  particular 

73 


74  CREDITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 

case  will  depend  upon  the  importance  of  the  delinquent  custom- 
er's trade,  bis  reputation  for  {Mrompt  or  tardy  payment,  and 
to  a  very  great  extent  upon  the  rigor  with  which  the  creditor's 
general  collection  policy  is  maintained^  Special  discounts  are 
usually  oflFered  to  buyers  to  induce  tbem  to  pay  cash,  and  the 
success  or  failure  of  a  business  is  often  determined  by  discount- 
ing or  failing  to  discount  all  bills.  Through  financial  agencies, 
like  Bradstreet's,  the  business  world  is  kept  informed  of  the 
credit  standing  of  business  concerns;  a  credit  standing  is  the 
business  man's  most  valuable  asset,  and  he  can  not  afford  to 
allow  it  to  depreciate  by  letting  his  bills  run  beyond  the  date 
upon  which  they  fall  due. 

While  the  basis  of  a  business  man's  credit  is  his  financial 
rating,  that  of  a  salaried  person  is  often  only  his  income  and 
general  reputation.  This  fact  renders  it  much  more  difficult  for 
the  retail  merchant  to  apply  successfully  definite  rules  to  the 
collection  of  his  accounts.  While  some  pretense  of  a  general 
policy  toward  all  credit  customers  is  usually  maintained,  the 
attitude  of  the  debtor,  especially  the  delinquent  debtor,  which  is 
of  course  an  all-important  element  in  connection  with  making 
collections,  is  here  determined  by  many  and  varying  consider- 
ations, and  any  policy  that  will  meet  all  conditions  must  be 
very  flexible.  Monthly  statements  and  follow-up  form  letters 
are  employed  here  as  in  the  wholesale  business ;  but  in  practice 
there  is  no  uniformity  among  retail  dealers  with  reference  to 
collections,  and,  consequently,  the  time  beyond  which  a  debtor 
may  not  let  his  account  remain  unsettled  is  usually  very  in- 
definite. 

Letters  Requesting  Payment. — All  debtors  to  whom  letters 
requesting  payment  need  to  be  written  may  usually  be  divided 
into  two  classes : 

First,  those  who,  though  they  are  sometimes  or  even  fre- 
quently dilatory  in  paying  bills  when  they  become  due,  am 

nevertheless  customers  that  a  business  house  can  ill  afford  to 
lose. 

-Second,  those  who,  because  they  are  dishonest  or  hopelessly 
slow  and  irregular  in  the  settlement  of  their  accounts,  are  unde- 


LETTEiiS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT 


75 


sirable  debtors  with  whom  further  business  transactions  will 
mean  only  further  and  larger  chance  of  loss  and  annojrance. 

In  dealing  with  the  first  class,  extreme  care  must  be  taken  to 
avoid  in  a  letter  requesting  payment  any  statement  or  attitude 
that  would  be  liable  to  destroy  the  pleasant  and  profitable  rela- 
tions previously  existing  between  the  writer  and  his  corre- 
spondent. This  is  not  easy  to  do,  for  in  some  way  or  other 
a  personal  letter,  however  guarded  and  polite,  will  frequently 
irritate  a  man  who  prides  himself  on  what  he  believes  to  be 
scrupulous  care  in  settling  accounts.  Such  irritation  may  mean 
the  partial  or  total  loss  of  such  a  co-respondent's  orders.  Some 
business  houses  have  therefore  adopted  a  courteously  stated 
printed  form,  which  does  not  carry  with  it  the  same  pointeduess 
that  a  personal  letter  necessarily  does.  Such  a  printed  form,  on 
the  contrary,  implies  that  it  is  sent  out  at  certain  times  to  all 
debtors,  and  it  is  consequently  nothing  but  an  impersonal  way 
of  calling  attention  to  the  exact  condition  of  a  debt  in  regard  to 
amount  and  length  of  time  elapsed  since  it  became  due. 

If  no  response  is  made  to  such  a  notice  within  some  reason- 
able time  fixed  by  the  business  policy  of  the  creditor,  a  personal 
letter  may  then  be  written.  This  should  be  based,  as  far  as 
possible,  upon  the  probable  reason  for  the  delay.  If  a  debtor,  on 
account  of  temporary  financial  difficulty  from  which  the  creditor 
has  reason  to  believe  he  will  be  able  to  extricate  himself,  is 
unable  to  meet  his  obligations,  this  fact  should  be  taken  into 
consideration,  and  a  letter  written  under  such  circumstances 
should  of  course  be  different  in  tone  from  one  written  to  a  man 
who  carelessly  allows  his  bills  to  become  overdue^  Just  what 
form  a  personal  letter  should  take  must  be  determined  on  the 
merits  of  each  case  as  they  are  known  to  the  writer.  A  letter 
requesting  payment  should  include  a  statement  of  the  writer's 
position  in  regard  to  the  debt  in  question,  giving  as  clearly  and 
courteously  as  possible  the  causes  which  compel  him  to  ask  for 
a  settlement.  The  following  is  a  letter  (slightly  modified)  which 
was  sent  by  a  large  producing  concern  to  a  firm  of  delinquent 
debtors  who  had  asked  for  an  extension  of  time  in  which  to 
meet  their  account: 


76 


CREDITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 


Empire  Coal  &  Coke  Company 

of  Philadelphia 

Miners  and  Sliipperi 

Bitumtnous  and  Qas  Coal  and  Coke 

CMunerdsl  Baikiif  »  st-as  Ferry  St. 

New  Yorkt  January  13,  1905. 

Messrs.  Truman  &  Lewis, 

Springfield,  Mass. 
Gentiemen : 

Repljring  to  your  letter  of  the  nth  instant,  ask- 
ing for  an  extension  of  time  in  which  to  meet  your 
account  which  fell  due  on  Dec.  15  last,  we  would  say 
that  we  mine  our  products  and  carry  them  more  than  a 
year  before  they  reach  the  consumer.  It  is  therefore 
imperative  that  dealers  pay  us  promptly  when  their 
bills  for  fall  shipments  become  due. 

We  have  on  our  books  more  than  twenty-five  thou- 
sand customers,  any  of  whom  are  liable  to  ask  the  same 
favor  for  reasons  which  to  them  seem  as  good  as  yours.  ^ 
Yoi^  will  see  at  once  how  impossible  it  would  be  for 
us  to  grant  all  such  favors.  We  treat  all  customers 
alike,  and  we  are,  as  a  result,  compelled  to  adopt  the 
rule  of  not  granting  extensions. 

Our  terms  are  more  liberal  than  those  of  our  com- 
petitors; our  bills  maturing  on  Dec  1$,  while  theirs 
fall  due  on  Dec.  i.  This  gives  the  dealer  the  best  part 
of  the  selUng  season  before  our  bill  needs  attention. 
We  believe  you  must  grant  the  justice  of  our  position, 
and  we  shall  expect  a  remittance  from  you  very  soon. 

Yours  very  truly, 

H.  G.  Munger, 

Eastern  Manager. 

The  foregoing  example  of  a  letter  requesting  payment  illus- 
trates <me  of  the  most  important  points  to  be  observed  in  such 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT  J  J 

letters ;  namely,  the  avoidance  of  any  implication  whatsoever  that 
the  debtor  is  unwilling  or  unable  to  pay.  Moreover,  tiie  credit- 
or's position  is  well  sustained  by  circumstances  which  are  clearly 
set  forth.  Many  contingencies  that  call  for  the  payment  of  out- 
standing debts  may  arise,  such  as  the  dissolution  of  a  partner- 
ship, in  which  the  respective  claims  can  not  be  adjusted  until  all 
accounts  have  been  converted  into  cash,  or  unexpected  drains 
upon  a  creditor's  resources  through  a  bad  business  season, 
strikes,  failure  of  contracts,  or  the  like.  A  statement  of  such 
causes  not  only  gives  force  to  the  request,  but  at  the  same  time 
it  furnishes  an  impUed  excuse  for  what  might  otherwise  seem 
merely  an  uncalled-for  demand. 

The  second  class  of  debtors  calls  for  an  entirely  different  kind 
of  treatment  For,  since  their  patronage  is  no  longer  desired, 
the  only  purpose  involved  in  writing  to  them  a  letter  requesting 
payment  is  the  immediate  collection  of  the  debt  But  even  in 
cases  of  this  kind  it  is  not  always  wise  to  be  severe  at  the  very 
beginning.  It  is  sometimes  easier  to  lead  a  delinquent  debtor 
into  paying  his  bills  than  it  is  to  force  him.  When,  however, 
courteous  treatment  brings  no  results,  it  becomes  necessary  to 
take  harsher  measures.  The  law  may  be  invoked  and  the  debt 
placed  in  the  hands  of  an  attorney.  When  the  creditor  has 
determined  to  enforce  payment,  a  letter  like  the  following  will 
often  bring  a  remittance : 

Louisville,  Ky.,  June  5,  1914. 

Messrs.  A.  F.  &  W.  F.  Merritt, 

Wilmington,  Del 
Gentlemen : 

We  regret  the  necessity  of  once  more  calling  your 
attention  to  the  inclosed  account,  which,  as  you  know, 
is  long  past  due.  Our  repeated  requests  for  a  remit- 
tance have  been  ignored,  and  further  delay  in  this  mat- 
ter is  out  of  the  question.  Unless  we  hear  from  you 
by  Monday,  the  12th  instant,  your  account  must  pass 
to  tiie  hands  of  our  attorneys  Ux  cc^lection. 

Very  truly  yours. 


78 


CREI^ITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 


The  following  genuine  letter  illustrates  the  policy  adopted  by 
a  wholesale  firm  ia  dealing  with  an  emergency  of  this  kind : 

c'^'jug'^  Hafninacfier  Schlemmer  &fk>. 


HARDWARE.  TOOLS.  SUPPLIES 


\^rP^  Ar  Piano  matcrials. 

♦ttAvc  *  lan  sr. 


"mSS^.         MKM.  ma.  new  voftR  qry  m«  aa,  laoe. 

837  West  12th  St. , 

IttlMBto*,  Vis* 

Otntltaiii:- 

Referring  again  to  the  aattar  of  jour  yast  4aa  as^MBit  «id 
ia  raayonaa  to  your  lattar  af  tha  85th! 

We  are  somewhat  surprised  that  you  did  not  aooapt  our  ^ 
Wropaaltlon  to  aattla  tlila  aeaoant  with  a  60-diqr  iiata  aa  it  aaaatt  ta 
urn  tMa  ia  aaatiiig  yev  aera  than  half  way.     We  have  repeatedly 
advised  you  that  our  tenu  are  atrletly  30  days  nat,  ahl^  «a  iatar** 
•rat  ia  aaan     sattlawita  an  ar  tef^  tha  iHh  of  aatfh  aenth  for  all 
gooda  Turohaaad  during  the  preceding  month  -  and  Inasouoh  aa  you  • 
hara  already  had  aora  th«i  sa  da9»*tiaa  an  th»  itaM  ia  fasstiaa,  «a 
t—X  that  the  aata  prapoaitlon  la  a  Tary  liberal  one.  '  * 

In  view  of  your  rafuaal  ta  aaeapt  tha  ahova  «a  asst  insist 
m  raaain^  yaar  ahiok  fSr  tha  mi  «a»t,  tdSS.W,  by  the  I5th 
prox. ,  otherwise  we  shall  place  thle  account  In  tha  *«ffidff  of  our 
attomaya  for  eaUaetiap. 

^  Hill  ash  yaii  fSr  m  iaaedlate  reply  to  this  latter* 

Yory  raspsdtAaiy  yoara, 

VsHMhary  S^^enner  i^Co. 

matatad  00/^04^. 
sr«  to 

There  are  two  things  to  be  avoided  in  writing  letters  demand- 
ing settlement  in  forceful  language : 

First,  if  there  has  been  a  running  account  about  which  any 
dispute  has  arisen,  so  that  the  amount  of  the  debt  . is  not  accu- 
rately known  and  acknowledged  by  both  persons  concerned,  it 
is  imperative  that  no  direct  statement  of  the  creditor's  cl^im 


LETTERS  REQUESTING  PAYMENT 


79 


be  made  in  any  letter,  unless  the  amount  named  is  what  the 
creditor  would  be  willing  to  bring  suit  for  in  case  that  expedient 
has  to  be  resorted  to  at  last.  This  is  necessary  because,  in  case 
of  litigation,  a  letter  containing  an  offer  of  settlement  for  an 
amount  less  than  that  demanded  in  the  complaint  is  admissible 
as  evidence,  and  as  such  precludes  the  possibility  of  recovering 
any  larger  amount  Either  party  to  the  suit  may,  however,  after 
the  summons  has  been  served,  make  on  any  basis  an  offer  of 
settlement  which  is  not  admissible  as  evidence.  There  is  no 
reason  why  a  statement  of  a  debt  should  not  be  made  in  a  letter 
requesting  payment  if  there  is  no  question  as  to  the  amount  of 
the  claim.  In  f  act»  such  a  statement  should  be,  and  is,  usualty 
made. 

Second,  it  may  be  stated  as  a  general  principle  that,  in  letters 

requesting  payment,  any  legal  action  contemplated  in  connection 
with  the  collection  of  a  debt  should,  if  possible,  be  made  to 
appear  an  expedient  which  the  writer  will  reluctantly  be  forced 
to  adopt  if  the  debt  remains  unpaid.  Threats,  for  the  most 
part,  are  useless,  and  it  is  particularly  important  that  no  prob- 
able course  of  proceedings  through  the  law  should  even  be  in- 
timated in  letters  of  this  kind  unless  the  writer  is  completely 
prepared  to  take  such  action  if  necessary. 

The  language  of  such  correspondence,  however  forceful, 
should  never  become  under  any  circumstances  such  as  might 
be  held  to  be  a  libelous  reflection  upon  the  character  or  conduct 
of  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  written.  There  have  been, 
in  the  past,  collection  agencies  whose  policy  it  was  to  attempt 
the  intimidation  of  debtors  by  seeking  to  make  public  through 
the  use  of  the  m;^ils  facts  connected  with  their  indebtedness. 
Envelopes  have  been  used  on  which  appeared  pictures  of  uni- 
formed collectors  or  printed  matter  intended  to  frighten  the 
reoeiyer  by  advertising  the  assumed  or  actual  condition  of  his 
business  affairs.  Postal  cards  have  also  been  used,  not  only  by 
such  agencies,  but  by  a  certain  class  of  business  men,  to  convey 
openly  threats  and  statements  defamatory  of  the  addressee's 
character  or  commercial  standing.  The  postal  regulations  now 
pronounce  unmailable  postal  cards  or  envelopes  upon  which  is 


8o 


CREDITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 


written  or  printed  anything  that  might  directly  or  indirectly 

tend  to  hurt  the  reputation  or  the  business  of  the  receiver.  It 
is  further  to  be  noted  that  written  or  printed  matter,  whether  on 
postal  cards  or  envelopes  or  in  letters,  which  would  come  within 
the  scope  of  the  laws  of  any  state  against  libel,  blackmail^  or 
extc»rtion,  makes  the  sender  punishable  by  severe  penalties. 

i^.  Write  letters  asking  for  ranittances,  astlgning  in  each  one  dt  the 
foUowing  reasons : 

(i)  Because  some  of  your  customeny  iHio  are  usually  prompt  pay,  are 
definqUeiit. 

(a)  Because    a  piolonged  strike  which  has  retarded  your  business. 

(3)  Because  of  an  epidemic  of  typhoid  fever  which  has  prostrated  trade 
in  your  locality. 

(4)  Because  of  the  unexpected  failure  of  one  of  your  largest  customers,  who 
has  made  an  assignment  from  w^ich  you  will  not  be  able  to  realize  more  than 
twenty-five  cents  on  a  dollar. 

5.  William  S.  Baer  <tf  IHon,  N.  Y.,  is  a  customer  of  yours  whose  business 

with  you  is  considerable.  He  is  sometimes  slow  in  remitting  and  is  just  now 
unusually  delinquent.  He  has  received  several  statements  of  his  account  for 
the  last  three  months  with  a  request  to  remit,  but  he  has  paid  no  attention  to 
them. 

Write  him  a  request  for  payment,  pressing  him  as  closely  as  you  think  you 
can  without  giving  offense.  The  two  points  that  have  about  equal  weight 
with  you,  as  you  write,  are,  that  you  have  immediale  need  for  the  money, 
and  that  you  do  not  wish  to  lose  his  trade. 

6.  You  shipped  an  invoice  of  goods  amounting  to  $275.00  to  the  Thompson 
Clothing  Co.  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  about  two  months  ago  on  terms  of  thirty  days' 
credit.  This  concern  had  no  rating  in  the  rqxHts  of  Dun  or  Bradstreet,  but 
upon  thdr  own  representation  and  that  of  the  Second  National  Bank  <rf 
Trenton  your  salesman  urged  you  to  extend  to  them  a  small  credit.  Informa- 
tion comes  to  you  now  that  they  are  not  paying  their  bills. 

Write  them  a  sharp  letter  demanding  the  hnmediate  settlonent  of  their 
account.  Make  it  appear  that  this  demand  and  the  consequences  which 
will  follow  further  delay  are  the  result  of  a  fixed  business  policy  toward  all 
delinquent  debton.  Your  letter  should  be  dignified  and  respectful,  but  it 


EXERCISES 


should  be  so  worded  that  the  proceeding  you  are  about  to  take  will  appear 
to  be  the  inevitable  result  of  circumstances  for  which  they  are  themselves 
wholly  responsible.  Do  not  use  in  this  or  odier  lettem  the  laqgoage  of  the 
book. 

7.  Address  a  letter  to  McDermott  &  Enright,  attorneys,  Trenton,  N.  J., 

setting  forth  the  facts  noted  in  Exercise  6.  Tell  them  that  the  Thompson 
Clothing  Co.  misrepresented  to  you  their  financial  standing  by  overstating 
their  assets  and  understating  their  liabilities.  Ask  them  to  advise  you  at  onoe 
whether  it  is  possible,  under  the  drcumstances,  to  get  an  attachment  against 
this  company. 

8.  You  have  had  a  running  account  with  Robert  A.  Williams  of  your 
place  for  over  two  years.  Goods  have  been  bought  and  sold,  money  has 
been  jkud  and  servioes  rendered.  The  last  transaction  is  dated  over  vx 
months  ago.  Your  books  show  that  Williams  owes  you  $250.00,  but  you 
have  been  unable  to  get  a  settlement.  He  has  ignored  your  several  requests 
for  an  appointment  for  the  purpose  isi  having  an  accounting,  and  yon  have 
good  reason  to  think  that  either  he  has  no  records  and  does  not  believe  he 
owes  you  anything,  or  that  he  is  willfully  avoiding  a  settlement.  In  prefer- 
ence to  assumuig  the  expense  and  taking  the  risk  incident  to  litigatioDy  you 
would  settle  for  considerably  less  than  you  would  be  justified  m  demandli^ 
in  case  he  compels  you  to  bring  suit. 

Write  him  a  forceful  letter  requesting  the  settlement  of  his  account. 
Avoid  making  reference  to  the  exact  amount  due  as  shown  by  your  hooks. 
Insist,  however,  upon  an  accounting,  and  let  your  letter  be  in  the  nature  of 
an  ultimatum. 

9.  Suppose  yourself  to  be  a  manufacturer.  Among  your  best  patrons  is 
Mr.  W.  N.  Wright  of  Port  Henry,  N.  Y.  He  is  not  only  one  of  the  laiignt 
buyers  on  your  list,  but  one  of  your  most  desirable  ouslomerB  in  the  matter 
of  prompt  settlements.  It  has  never  been  necessary  to  ask  him  for  a  re- 
mittsmoe,  and  you  have  been  careful  for  years  to  avoid  sendiiig  him  any- 
diing  bearing  the  slightest  resemblance  to  a  duniung  letter.  Through  some 
misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  your  office  force  during  the  temporary  ab- 
sence of  your  credit  man,  a  statement  of  his  account  up  to  a  certain  date  was 
rendered  him  together  with  a  request  to  remit  You  have  received  a  prompt 
acknowledgment  inclosing  a  draft  to  cover  the  amount  of  the  statement  ren- 
dered, accompanied  by  a  request  for  a  statement  of  his  indebtedness  to  date. 
This  yea  can  interpret  only  as  implying  his  intention  to  discontinue  businiss 
rations. 

Write  such  a  letter  as  the  circumstances  call  for. 

COM.  OORRSSFONOXNCK  — 6 


82 


CREDITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 


lOk  You  have  been  doing  business  with  Briduier  &  Havemeyer,  Jadnon- 

ville,  Fla.,  for  a  number  of  years.  They  have  been  most  prompt  in  settling 
tbfiLr  account  until  very  recently,  when  they  have  kept  you  wai^ng  much 
longer  than  the  circumstances  of  your  busmess  will  allow. 

Write  them  a  letter  explaining  the  conditions  which  compel  you  to  ask 
for  prompter  payment,  but  take  the  greatest  care  to  avoid  the  least  implica- 
tion that  you  would  have  anything  oth^r  than  the  long-standkig  cordiality 
continue  in  your  business  relations.  Make  your  letter  dear  and  finui  though 
mild  and  friendly. 

11.  Two  months  ago  Morse,  Stevens  &  Son,  Ilion,  N.  Y.,  dealers  in  straw- 
berries, opened  an  account  with  you.  They  have  purchased  shipping  boxes 
and  crates  to  the  amount  of  $162.00,  but  have  as  yet  made  no  settlement 
Their  bill  is  two  weeks  overdue  and  you  are  compelled  to  ask  them  to  remit 
without  further  delay.  State  that  your  terms  are  cash  and  that  accounts  are 
carried  from  month  to  month  only  to  accommodate  some  lew  of  your  cus- 
tomers.  Your  letter  should  be  courteous  but  forceful. 

12.  L.  D.  Fleming,  a  customer  of  yours,  has  for  yeaiMMMl  slow  pay,  and 
you  are  now  determined  that  he  shall  either  settle  his  accounts  when  they  fall 
due  or  you  will  deny  him  further  credit.  Write  to  him,  stadi^  your  side  of 
the  case  dearly  and  briefly,  and  request  that  he  remit  at  once  his  chedc  for 
the  amount  of  the  last  two  months'  purchases.  Let  it  be  apparent  that  the 
nature  of  your  business  and  your  small  margin  of  profit  make  it  impossil^  for 
you  to  carry  so  irregular  an  account 

13.  You  have  written  twice  to  Carlton  C  Cook  during  the  last  IcMrtnight 
with  reference  to  his  bill  for  the  month  of  January,  and  you  havie  received  no 
reply.  You  feel  that  further  delay  is  impossible,  and  you  write  to  him  to  that 
efiect,  stating  that  unless  you  hear  from  him  hnmediatdy  you  will  rehictantly 
be  compelled  by  the  operation  of  a  fixed  bosiiiess  policy  to  place  his  acooqnt 
in  the  hands  of  your  attorney  for  collection. 

14.  Your  terms  are  cash.  Morris,  Eckman  &  Company  bought  from  you 
last  week,  with  the  understanding  that  payment  should  be  immediate,  a  large 
invoice  of  medical  goods.  Write  to  them,  calling  attenticm  to  tiie  fict  that  as 

yet  you  have  not  heard  from  them.   Be  courteous. 

15.  Little,  Tuttle  &  Morse,  Printers  and  Engravers,  16  East  Clarfc  St., 
Baltimore,  Md.,  have  for  years  been  customers  of  yours.  Their  payments  have 
always  been  prompt,  and  you  have  reaaoiv  therefore,  to  believe  that  some 
oversight  or  mistake  b  responsible  for  Uie  fiict  that  you  have  not  yet  recdved 

a  remittance  for  their  March  bill. 


EXERCISES 


Write  them  a  very  courteous  letter  in  which  you  mention  that  their  cus- 
tomary indosure  of  check  for  last  month^s  account  has  not  been  received. 
You  accordin^y  take  the  liberty  of  asking  than  whether  they  have  sent  it  as 
usual.  Make  it  clear  that  you  ask,  believing  that  some  error  must  be  respon- 
sible for  the  delay. 

16.  Bashman  &  Cortini  dispute  with  you  the  amount  of  their  indebted- 
sets.  You  have  gone  over  their  account  carefiilly  and  are  positive  that  you 
have  made  no  nustake.   You,  therefore,  are  in  no  wise  inclined  to  zxxxsgk,  the 

amount  they  claim  is  due,  and  you  state  in  your  letter  to  them  that  you  will 
bring  the  case  to  court  rather  than  lose  the  difference.  Be  exceedii^ly  firm. 

17.  Last  week  you  sent  to  Samuel  J.  Lother  a  statement  of  his  account 
marked  ^Duplicate in  accordance  with  your  fixed  policy  m  making  collec- 
tions. This  is  the  first  time  that  Mr.  Lother  has  been  dilatory  in  payment, 
and  he  has  taken  offense  at  your  reminder.  Yesterday  you  received  from  him 
an  ezoeedin^y  curt  letter,  demanding  immediatdy  a  statement  of  his  aooomil 
to  dkte,  and  asking  what  you  meant  by  sending  him  a  "  Dun." 

Write  him  a  conciliatory  letter.  Do  not  take  on  a  humble  tone,  but  ex- 
plain that  such  a  duplicate  statement  is  sent  out  by  your  house  to  all  cus- 
tomers after  a  certain  number  of  days  have  elapsed  since  the  s^mKi^  of  the 
original  statement.  Make  him  feel  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  personal 
dement  in  your  action,  but  that  it  was  a  part  of  the  mechanical  routine  of 
your  business.  Explain,  in  brief,  your  reasons  for  adopting  audi  a  genend 
policy.   Remember  that  he  is  a  valuable  customer. 

18.  You  are  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  forming  implements,  and 
have  received  from  a  distant  firm  a  letter  inclosing  a  large  order,  the  first  they 
have  sent  you.  Inasmuch  as  they  give  no  reference  and  make  no  mention  of 
how  they  propose  to  pay  for  the  goods  ordered,  the  task  of  replying  is  rather 
difficult.  You  wish  to  secure  their  trade,  but  you  should  satisfy  yourself  as 
to  thdr  standing  before  extending  to  them  a  term  of  credit.  In  your  reply 
call  theur  attentfon  to  the  foct  that  it  is  your  invariaUe  rule  not  to  ship  goods 
to  strangers  without  an  understanding  in  regard  to  the  terms  of  the  sale. 
State  that  yoo  do  not  find  thdr  financial  rating  in  the  reports  of  Dun  or 
Bradstreet  Suggest  shipping  the  goods  C.  O.  D. 

19.  Write  a  letter  to  Abraham  Levy,  calUng  his  attention  to  the  foct  that 
his  account  is  now  past  due.  State  that  you  have  obligations  maturing  in  a 
few  days  and  ask  him  if  he  will  honor  your  three-day  draft  for  the  amount  due. 

20.  Write  a  second  letter  to  Mr.  Levy  two  weeks  later.  Call  his  atten- 
tion to  your  former  letter  and  remind  him  that  the  circumstances  entitled  you 


CREDITS  AND  COLLECTIONS 


to  the  courtesy  of  a  reply.  Give  ikut  amount  of  his  mdebtedness  and  ask  for  a 
remittance  at  once. 

21.  Let  your  third  letter  to  Mr.  Levy,  ten  days  later,  be  a  demand  for  the 
immediate  settlement  of  his  account  Refer  to  the  two  former  l^teiB  which 
he  has  ignored,  and  inform  him  that  miless  you  recdve  hb  remittance  by  the 

 (fix  this  date  about  five  days  fxom  the  date  of  your  letter),  you  will  be  ^ 

obliged  to  place  the  account  in  the  hands  of  your  attorney  for  collection. 

22.  You  have  just  received  notice  from  a  Notary  Public  that  a  sixty-day 
note,  dated  AprU  19,  1905,  made  by  E.  R.  Conklmg  m  your  fiivw  for  $345.00, 
and  indorsed  by  you  to  the  Tiaders  &  Importers  Bank  of  your  dty,  has 
been  protested  for  non-payment.  You  know  Mr.  Conkling  to  be  a  man  of 
ample  means  and  excellent  standing  in  the  community.  Write  him  such  m 
letter  as  tlie  drcnmslanoes  requue. 

23.  Write  for  Mr.  Conkling  a  reply  to  the  letter  in  Exeidse  33,  assigning 
some  reason  neglecting  to  meet  the  note  at  maturity.  Make  foil  piovision 
for  taking  up  the  note  and  paying  the  protest  fees  at  once. 


/ 


VIII.    LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION 


A  LETTER  of  application  should  be  written  with  all  possible 
attention  to  the  minor  mechanical  details  of  form  and  appear- 
ance. Neatness  of  arrangement,  correct  spelling,  and  a  proper 
use  of  capitals,  grammatical  construction,  and  punctuation  are 
absolutely  essential;  for  a  letter  in  which  these  fundamentals 
have  been  neglected  obviously  frustrates  the  primary  purpose 
of  an  application,  which  is,  before  all  else,  the  immediate 
creation  of  a  favorable  impression  in  the  mind  of  the  person 
to  whom  it  is  written.  But  a  letter  of  application  should  be 
something  more  than  a  correct  form  neatly  written.  It  should 
be  a  concise,  and  yet  personal  and  adequate,  expression  of 
the  writer's  specific  qualifications,  desires,  and  individuality. 
Therefore,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  should  conform 
rigidly  to  all  the  requirements  of  good  usage,  it  should  not 
be  hackneyed  or  stilted.  Plainness,  straightforwardness,  man- 
Uness,  freedom  alike  from  any  show  of  assurance  or  the  least 
trace  of  timidity,  are  the  most  desirable  attributes  of  such 
letters,  virhile  prolixity  in  the  statement  of  previous  business 
undertakings  is  perhaps  one  of  the  worst  faults.  When  speak- 
ing of  yourself  or  your  own  achievements  be  as  brief  as  the 
circumstances  will  allow. 

A  letter  of  application  may  be  divided  into  three  parts :  first, 
an  introduction  containing  some  statement  of  why  the  appli- 
cation is  made,  whether  it  is  in  reply  to  an  advertisement,  or 
from  the  unsolicited  desire  of  the  writer  to  enter  the  service 
of  the  person  addressed;  second,  a  statement  of  the  writer's 
age  and  qualifications,  menticming  names  for  reference,  aiMl  cre- 
dentials, if  any  have  been  inclosed ;  third,  a  statement  of  the 
writer's  personal  deures  in  view  of  which  the  appUcatioa  ia 
made. 


86 


LETTERS  OF  APPLICATION 


The' Student  should  study  carefully  the  following  examples. 

The  first  is  intended  to  show  what  would  be,  in  form  and  word- 
ing, an  acceptable  letter  of  application  for  a  position  of  minor 
importance.    The  second  is  such  a  letter  as  might  be  written  in. 
making  application  for  a  position  in  which  a  comparatively  un- 
usual kind  of  experience  and  ability  is  reqmred. 


^'AaJ  ^Uyc^^T'vt^  tit-^t/y^-?^^  .^tA^iJ^yyw^ 


87 


% 


88  LETTERS  OF  APPUCATION 

» 

£X£&CISSS 

1-6.  The  following  advertisements  were  taken  from  the  metropolitan  dailies. 
Note  cun^iUy  the  conditioiis  staled  and  write  ktten  of  ^application  for  the 
positions: 

(1)  Wanted.  A  man  to  start  at  bottom  witii  publishing 
house  and  advance  when  proident ;  experience  unnecessary ; 

food  references  required ;  congenial  work  paying  at  fiist 
15.00  weekly.   Address  CoryeU»  150  Fifth  Ave.,  Room  714. 

(2)  A  young  man  of  neat  appearance  wanted  as  assistant 
manager  and  treasurer  for  specialty  office  business ;  salary 
to  start  $18.00  per  week;  $500.00  cash  security  required. 
Address,  stating  age  and  prior  occupation,  Permanent,  244 
Herald. 

(3)  OFFICE  assistant  in  fectory;  intelligent  young  man; 
'  must  be  ^ood  penman  and  accurate  at  figures;  one  with 

stenography  and  typewriting  experience  preferred;  salary 
moderate.  Address,  stating  age,  experience,  references,  and 
salary  expected,  Permanent  221  World. 

(4)  Wanted.  Boy  stenographer,  understanding  Underwood 
machine ;  beginner  preferred.  Answer  by  letter  only,  stating 
salary  expected.  The  Gotham  Rubber  Co.,45  South  St.,City. 

(5)  CORRESPONDENT.  Intellicrent  correspondent  to 
handle  mail-order  department  in  mercantile  establishment ; 
must  be  resourceful,  original,  creative,  practical ;  permanency 
with  advancement;  state  age,  experience,  references,  and 
salary  desired.    Address  Correspondent,  329  Herald. 

(6)  BOY  for  office  work ;  must  know  how  to  file  letters  and 
write  a  good  hand;  state  salary  and  references. 

H.  £.  313  Journal. 

7.  The  First  National  Bank  of  your  city  has  asked  an  acquaintance  ot 
yours  to  recommend  a  young  man  to  take  charge  of  their  Depositors'  Ledger 
and  assist  m  general  bookkeeping.  Apply  for  this>  positfon,  giving  age,  edu- 
cational advantages,  and  experience,  if  any.  Inclose  two  letters  of  recom- 
mendation and  give  references.  Make  it  appear  in  your  letter  that  present 
salary  is  not  so  much  an  object  as  the  proqpect  of  advancement 

• 

8.  Mr.  Walter  H.  Eddy,  a  classmate  of  youre  in  high  school,  and  a  life- 
king  acquaintance,  has  just  been  appoUited  Consul  at  Venk^e.  He  will  be 
allowed  seven  hundred  dollars  yearly  for  the  services  of  a  secretary.  You 
desire  to  spend  a  few  years  in  Italy.   Make  application  tc  Mr.  Eddy  for  this 

9.  Write  a  letter  applying  for  some  positkm  you  wouUi  like  to  obtain. 


IX.    LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION  AND 

RECOMMENDATION 

A  Letter  of  Introduction  is  written  for  the  purpose  of  intro- 
ducing the  bearer  of  the  letter  (a  person  known  to  the  writer) 

to  some  other  person  known  to  the  writer,  but  with  whom  the 
bearer  is  unacquainted.  It  does  not  usually  contain  any  form 
of  recommendation  or  indorsement,  but  it  assumes  that  the 
bearer  and  the  receiver  will,  when  they  meet,  establish  relations 
conducive  to  their  mutual  interest  and  advantage.  Such  a  letter 
carries  with  it  an  impUed  attitude  of  esteem  and  trust  on  the 
part  of  the  writer  toward  the  bearer,  and  should  of  course  never 
be  written  unless  previous  circumstances  have  proved  that  the 
person  to  be  introduced  is  thoroughly  worthy  of  any  confidence 
that  might  be  reposed  in  him.  A  letter  of  introduction  should 
never  b^  addressed  to  any  one  with  whom  the  writer  is  not  well 
acquainted,  and  likewise,  it  should  never  be  made  an  unneces- 
sary intrusion  upon  the  receiver's  time  and  attention.  For  the 
fundamental  supposition  upon  which  this  form  of  letter  rests  Is 
that  it  will  be  agreeable,  and  perhaps  profitable,  for  the  receiver 
to  meet  the  person  to  whom  the  letter  is  written.  A  letter  of 
introduction  is  practically  never  mailed,  but  is  presented  by  the 
person  to  be  introduced.   The  envelope  is  therefore  not  sealed. 

Office  of  the  First  District, 

Department  of  Internal  Revenue, 
New  York,  June  19,  191 1.  , 

Mr.  Charles  B.  Tillet, 
Newport  News,  Va. 

Dear  Sir:  —  This  will  introduce  to  you  Mr. 
VtnSliam  L.  Carroll,  who  has  recently  been  appointed 


I 


QO  LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION,  ETC. 

District  Collector  of  Revenues  in  your  city.    I  have 

known  Mr.  Carroll  intimately  for  a  number  of  years, 
both  while  he  was  Auditor  of  the  Department  of  Cus- 
toms and  while  he  was  Chief  Inspector  for  the  Port 
of  New  York.  I  will  not  presume  to  speak  of  his 
character  or  of  his  very  eminent  qualifications  for  the 
position  to  which  he  has  been  promoted  in  the- govern- 
ment s^ce,  for  they  will  speak  for  themsehres  after 
you  have  known  him  even  a  very  short  time. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Augustus  L.  Leyland. 

It  is  courteous  to  acknowledge  briefly  the  receipt  of  a  letter 
of  introduction.  The  following  shows  the  correct  form  in  re- 
plying to  the  above  letter : 

Newport  News,  Va., 

June  23,  1911. 

Mr.  Augustus  Leyland, 

Dept.  of  Internal  Revenue, 
New  York,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Sir,  —  Your  letter  of  June  19th  introducing 
Mr.  Carroll  has  been  received.  I  wish  to  thank  you 
for  the  great  pleasure  that  I  anticipate  in  becoming 
more  intimately  acquainted  with  him. 

Yours  truly, 

Chas.  B.  TiUet 

Letters  of  Indorsement — A  letter  of  indorsement  is  a  letter 
that,  in  introducing  a  person  to  the  addressee,  lays  stress  upon 
his  commercial  or  financial  responsibility.  It  is  a  more  definite 
form  of  the  letter  of  introduction,  and  it  demands  even  more 
care  on  the  part  of  the  writer  in  making  sure  of  the  character 
and  capability  of  the  person  for  whom  it  is  written.  In  a  way 
the  writer  becomes  morally,  if  not  in  fact  legally,  responsible 
should  the  person  indorsed  fail  to  fulfill  obligations  incurred  in 
any  resulting  business  transactioiis  with  the  addressee. 


EXERCISES  91 

EXERCISES 

1.  Write  a  letter  to  Harold  K.  SimmoDs,  Greenville,  111.,  introducing  J.  S. 
Egbert  of  your  place. 

2.  Write  a  letter  to  Mr.  James  P.  Willis,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trade, 
Llacoln,  Nebr.,  introducing  your  friend,  Dr.  William  J.  Howe,a  recent  graduate 
of  the  College  of  Ph5rsictans  and  Surgeons,  New  York,  who  is  about  to  begin 

the  practice  of  medicine  in  Lincoln. 

3.  Write  a  letter  to  W.  H.  Gould  &  Sons,  wholesale  dealers  in  china  and 
Grod^ery  ware^  Providence,  R.  I.,  introducing  Mr.  Charles  J.  Hunter,  who 
intends  to  carry  a  line  of  their  goods  in  addition  to  his  present  stock  of  gro- 
ceries. Refer  to  Mr.  Hunter's  career  as  a  merchant,  and  mention  reasons  for 
your  confidence  in  him. 

4.  Write  a  letter  to  the  maoager  of  the  Great  Western  Type  Foundry, 
Chkago,  111.,  introducing  your  friend,  Mr.  James  H.  Fields,  who  has  been 

connected  with  the  "  Morning  Herald of  your  city  for  several  years,  and  is 
about  to  open  a  general  printing  establishment  in  Helena,  Moat. 

5.  Write  a  letter  introducing  to  William  H.  Healy,  manago^  of  the  Ameri- 
can Tool  &  Instmm^t  Company,  12  Front  St.,  New  York,  Charles  L. 

Peabody,  who  has  been  a  business  friend  of  yours  for  a  number  of  years  and 
who  comes  to  New  York  to  make  purchases  for  his  retail  hardware  business  in 
Geneva,  N.  Y.  Ask  Mr.  Healy  to  show  him  the  various  innovations  of  the 
American  Tool  &  Instrument  Company  in  the  manufacture  of  reapers  and 
binders.  State  also  that  Mr.  Peabody  was  until  recently  the  manager  of  thtt 
frurtory  of  the  Canadian  Tool  Company  in  St.  Thomas,  Ontario. 

6.  Write  a  letter  Introducing  Russell  G.  Mott,  Asst.  Secretary  of  the 
Home  Life  Insurance  Company,  to  Warren  C.  Hudson,  Vice  President  of 
the  Philadelphia  Trust  &  Indemnity  Company.  Mr.  Mott  is  a  personal  friend 
of  yours  in  whom  you  have  the  utmost  confidence^  and  for  whom  yoa  have  ^ 
greatest  regard.  He  Is  at  present  compiling  statistics  in  connection  with  a 
book  which  he  is  writing  on  the  growth  of  life  insurance  in  the  United  States, 
and  you  wish  Mr.  Hudson  to  extend  to  him  whatever  aimlittanrf  he  may  meed 
in  pursuing  his  investigatbns  in  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Hudson  is  also  a  close 
personal  friend. 

7.  Write  a  letter  introducing  your  new  agent,  Mr.  N.  C.  Tl^omas,  to 
Corbet,  Fiske  &  Burns,  who  are  old  cuslomerB  of  yoon  in  the  paper  trade 
Supply  your  own  details. 


92 


LETTERS  OF  lATRODUCTION,  ETC. 


8.  Write  a  letter  iatrodudns  your  partner,  Mn  M.  F.  Gaines,  to  Irving  G. 
Hanchet  of  the  Chicago  **  Tribune.''  Mr.  Gaines  visits  Chicago  for  the  purpose 
of  beginning  an  extensive  and  systematic  advertising  rampai^  to  introduce 
your  new  typewriter  ribbons.  He  therefore  wishes  to  come  into  dose  touch 
with  newspaper  men.  You  have  met  Mr.  Handiet  occasionally  at  the  house 
of  a  mutual  friend,  Mr.  Edward  Bracket  of  Detroit.  i 

9.  Write  a  letter  introducing  to  Bragg,  Collins  &  Company,  Mr.  Lawrence 
G.  Devine,  a  young  man  who  has  been  in  your  employ  and  in  whom  you  have 
a  personal  interest  Mr.  Devine  desires  to  enter  the  employ  of  some  influen- 
tial dry  goods  firm  in  Boston  for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  business.  Biagg, 
Collins  &  Company  are  old  customers  of  yours  in  the  dry  goods  tiade. 

10.  Write  a  letter  introducing  Arthur  Twining,  who  has  recently  graduated 
from  the  Wallingford  High  School,  of  which  you  are  one  of  the  trustees.  In 
school  he  had  an  excellent  record.  He  now  seeks  employment  in  the  retail' 
rubber  business,  and  you  hope  that  Mr.  C.  M.  McDougal,  to  whom  your  letter 
is  addressed,  may  be  able  to  help  him  to  meet  the  men  who  might  have  posi- 
tions open  in  their  employ  such  as  Arthur  Twining  desires.  Mr.  McDougal 
ms  once  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  sdiool,  and  is  now  living  at  62  Main  St., 
Hartford,  Conn. 

11.  Write  a  letter  introducing  Mark  G.  Hastings,  your  personal  friend  of 
many  years'  standing,  to  Ex-Senator  Walter  M.  Peary,  78  Pearl  St,  Albany, 
N.  who  is  the  toidier  of  your  partner  in  business  and  with  whom  you  are 
on  terms  of  intimacy.  Mr.  Hastings  visits  Albany  to  promote  the  passage  of 
a  bill  concerning  the  extension  of  the  franchise  of  the  Tanytown  &  Ossining 
Electric  Traction  QHnpany. 

13.  Write  a  letter  introducing  to  Benson  H.  Briscoe,  immigration  officer 
at  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  your  colleague,  Mr.  Mason  T.  Trowbridge,  who 
is  traveling  for  his  health.  Mr.  Trowbridge  is  a  member  of  the  University 
Settlement  Society  and  interested  in  the  condition  of  aliens  in  our  aeaboaid 
dtiSes. 

Letters  of  Recommendation.  —  A  letter  of  recommendation 
should  be  deliberate,  truthful,  decisive.  It  should  never  bear 
traces  of  overhasty  warmheartedness,  for  accuracy  carries  with 
it  far  more  force  than  effusiveness,  and  glowing  generalities  are 
not  only  inadequate  as  evidence,  but  may  also  be  false  and  mis- 
leading.  Theref  cure  the  most  effective  kind  cxf  recommendation 
is  that  which  keeps  well  within  the  sphere  of  the  writer's  own 


LETTERS  OF  RECOMMEI^DATIOM 


93 


observation  with  reference  to  the  character  and  ability  of  the 
person  recommended,  and  even  there  is  scrupulously  clear  and 
definite.  If  a  man  has  done  and  can  do  certain  things  creditably, 
always  say  so  in  preference  to  saying  vaguer  though,  as  it  may 
seem  for  the  moment,  more  flattering  things.  In  other  words,  a 
letter  of  recommendation  should  apply  sharply  and  definitely  to 
the  career  and  capacity  of  the  person  for  whom  it  is  written  in 
so  far  as  they  have  come  within  the  personal  notice  of  the  writer. 


94  LETTERS  OF  iNTRODUCTiON^  ETC. 

A  letter  of  recommendation  should,  then,  made  a  personal 
estimate  of  the  character  and  work  of  the  porson  to  be  recom- 
mended, and,  whenever  it  is  possible,  it  should  be  written  only 
in  reply  to  a  letter  of  inquiry  from  a  third  person.  If  it  is  so 
written,  it  carries  with  it  an  elemrat  of  sanction  and  emphasis 
that  no  other  form  of  commendation  can  possibly  have.  Often, 
however,  it  would  be  inexpedient  to  rely  entirely  on  liters  so. 
written, — since  sometimes  the  writer  or  the  person  recommended 
may  have  removed  to  a  place  so  distant  that  a  letter  can  not  be 
secured  quickly  enough  to  make  it  of  any  use,  or,  as  often  hap- 
pens, the  applicant  may  feel,  because  he  himself  or  the  writer  is 
about  to  enter  an  entirely  new  sphere  of  activity,  that  some  defi- 
nite statement  of  his  competence  should  be  made  while  the 
memory  of  the  facts  and  circumstances  is  still  fresh  in  mind. 
Under  such  circumstances  the  open  letter  of  recommendation 
is  the  only  convenient  way  of  recording  satisfaction  in  and  ap- 
proval of  the  work  of  the  person  to  be  recommended.  The  fol- 
lowing illustrates  such  a  letter : 

THE  STANDARD  CHEMICAL  COMPANY 

Springfield,  Mass.,  April  5,  19Q5. 
To  whom  it  may  concern  : 

The  bearer  of  this  letter,  Mr.  George  W.  Crane, 

has  been  with  us  since  January,  1898.  He  has  ad- 
vanced step  by  step  in  our  confidence  and  esteem, 
until  he  now  occupies  in  our  employ  a  position  de- 
manding an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  intricacies  of 
manufacturers'  accounts.  He  has  made  a  special  study 
of  cost  accounting,  and  in  connection  with  our  own 
business  has  developed  a  system  which  gives  remark- 
ably clear  expression  to  the  manifold  phases  of  a  pecul- 
iarly varied  branch  of  the  manufacture  of  chemical 
products.  His  constant  purpose  has  been  by  investiga- 
tion and  experimentation  to  make  himself  aiso  broadly 
acquainted  with  the  possibilities  of  modem  methods  of 
accounting  in  other  fields  of  commercial  activity. 


LETTERS  OF  RECOMMENDATION 


95 


Of  his  professional  equipment,  therefore,  we  can 
not  have  the  slightest  doubt,  and  we  feel  that  we  must, 
in  addition,  give  exjnression  to  the  continued  sense  of 
security  to  which  we  have  become  accustomed  by  his 
unfailing  fulfillment  of  the  various  trusts  we  ha^  re* 
posed  in  him. 

Bruce  Mills, 

President 

Such  a  letter  may  under  some  circumstances,  if  it  is  not  vague 

and  indirect,  add  considerably  to  the  force  of  one's  credentials. 
It  is  therefore  due  the  worthy  applicant  At  the  same  time,  it 
should  be  remembered  that,  since  this  form  of  letter  may  be  so 
easily  made  the  subject  of  fraudulent  imitation,  it  has  lost  much 
of  the  weight  that  it  may  once  have  had. 

But  of  all  the  causes  that  have  conspired  to  weaken  the  com- 
mon  forms  of  recommendation,  this  is  by  far  the  most  impcMtant ; 
namely,  that  thousands  of  people  apply  indiscriminately  for 
recommendations  to  persons  with  whom  they  are  only  slightly 
acquainted  and  of  whom  they  have  no  right  to  make  such  a 
request.  It  is  at  times  extremely  difficult  to  refuse  a  recom- 
mendation, even  though  the  writer  does  not  fed  that  he  is 
properly  qualified  by  previous  observation  to  give  expression 
to  any  judgment  concerning  the  appUcant  s  character  and  work. 
He  therefore  is  compelled  to  fall  back  upon  vague  general 
statements  that  really  mean  nothing.  In  such  a  case,  that  is 
the  easiest  and  often  the  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty.  For 
this  reason  there  is  in  business,  as  well  as  in  other  circles,  a  flood 
of  meaningless  letters  which  constantly  tend  to  diminish  the 
dignity  and  value  of  the  letter  of  recommendation.  It  is  the 
duty  of  every  one  engaged  in  business  not  to  ask  for  recom- 
mendations from  a  person  who,  however  influential,  is  still,  by 
reason  of  inadequate  knowledge,  unqualified  to  give  a  definite, 
conscientious,  personal  account  of  the  applioiM's  various 
qualifications.  ^ 

A  letter  of  recommendaticm  should,  of  comrM^  atver  lio  given 

to  one  who  has  proved  himself  unworthy,  since  3uch  a  letter 


96 


LETTERS  OF  INTRODUCTION^  ETC. 


.  may  easily  damage  the  writer's  reputation  for  veracity  and  good 
judgment,  if  the  person  recommended  ultimately  shows  himself 
to  be  incompetent  or  dishonest.  Likewise  a  recommendation 
should  never  be  withheld  when  commendation  is  justly  due  the 
applicant 

EXERCISES 

1.  Write  a  letter  recommending  Paul  M.  Snyder,  who  has  been  in  your 
employ  as  entry  clerk.  You  are  not  acquainted  with  Mr.  Snyder  personally, 
but  you  have  every  msoa  to  bdicve  that  his  work  has  been  steady  and  pains- 
taking. Be  careful  in  your  letter  not  to  exceed  the  limits  of  your  own 
knowledge.    Do  not  write  a  vague,  weak  letter 

which  you  know  nothing  definite. 

2.  Write  a  letter  leoonmiending  Basoom  P.  Dodge,  who  applies  for  the 
position  of  office  boy  in  the  office  of  CHcott,  Henry  &  Okxm,  lawyers,  1602 

Lords  Court  Building,  Williams  Street,  New  York.  You  have  had  Dodge  in 
your  classes  in  the  Westfield  High  School  and  you  have  always  found  him  to 
be  industrious  and  careici]  in  the  details  of  his  w<Mk.  He  was  not  a  brilliant 

student,  but  you  believe  that  he  is  qualified  for  the  position  in  question.  Be 
brief  and  to  the  point 

3.  Write  a  letter  recommending  to  Carson  L.  Brush  &  Co.,  Benjamin  P. 
Pilfordy  who  has  been  in  your  employ  for  the  past  two  yeais.  Mr.  Pilford  has 
shown  the  most  creditable  industry  and  efficiency  in  conducting  the  business  of 
your  branch  office  in  Wilmington,  Del.  He  is  an  absolutely  trustworthy  man, 
and  you  take  pleasure  in  helping  him  to  reach  larger  fields  of  activity,  fie 
definite  concerning  his  qualttcations  as  a  manager. 


X.    FORM  LETTERS 

The  fom  letter  is  not  an  invention  but  a  growth.  A  firm's 
correspondence  must  of  necessity  deal  with  a  certain  limited  field 
of  commercial  transactions^  since  every  business  house  has  its  own 
method,  policy,  and  market ;  and  when  the  amount  of  correspond- 
ence becomes  large,  it  is  possible,  and  moreover  exceedingly 
advantageous,  to  classify  and  subdivide  the  g^reater  part  of  it* 
in  such  a  way  that  one  style  of  letter  may  be  used  equally  well 
as  a  reply  to  any  of  the  numerous  letters  falling  into  a  given 
class.  In  this  way  the  need  of  a  form  is  created.  To  supply  this 
need,  a  letter  is  usually  carefully  prepared,  designated  by  a  cod^ 
number,  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  clerical  f  <»rce,  who  there- 
after copy  it,  supplying  of  course  the  proper  heading  and  com- 
plimentary address,  in  replying  to  any  let^  received  iirhich  is 
plainly  of  the  class  which  demands  the  stereotyped  reply  in 
question.  There  may  be  in  use  in  a  large  office  a  considerable 
number  of  form  letters  dealing  with  certain  constantly  recurring 
phases  of  business  intercourse,  —  complaints  rectified,  mistakes 
adjusted,  claims  acknowledged,  claims  denied,  etc., — and  nndor 
each  one  of  these  larger  groups  there  may  also  be  found  three 
or  lour  styles  of  the  same  letter  differently  worded  to  suit  the 
tone  of  the  various  letters  received  belonging  to  the  same  type. 
It  is  often  the  case  that  such  forms  are  so  repeatedly  used  that 
they  are  memorized  by  the  stenographers,  who  on  receiving  a 
letter  to  be  answered  on  which  has  been  stamped  the  code  num- 
ber of  a  given  form,  as  A  2,''  B  4,"  will  without  further  dmo- 
tion  or  comment  write,  lot  example,  the  following  reply : 

Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  July  9,  1905. 

Mr.  James  A.  McDonald 
'    Wyandotte,  Mich. 

Dear  Sir: 

Your  letter  of  the  6th  instant  has  been  received. 
We  regret  exceedingly  that,  owing  to  the  increased  - 

COM  •  COJUL£SFOND£NCfi — 7  9/ 


98 


FORM  LETTERS 


demand  for  flat  rails  of  the  size  you  mention,  it  will 
be  some  time  before  we  shall  be  able  even  to  hll  the 
orders  already  received.  We  have,  however,  in  stock 
flat  rails  weighing  fifty  pounds  per  foot.  These  we 
should  be  glad  to  furnish  you  at  the  prices  named  in 
•   our  January  Catalogue. 

Yours  very  truly. 

The  Schenectady  Foundry  Co. 

Many  other  kinds  of  form  letters  have  come  into  general  use 

in  connection  with  various  business  circumstances  that  require  a 
large  number  of  letters  treating  the  same  subject  from  the  same 
standpoint  to  be  sent  to  many  different  persons.  They  serve 
admirably  such  general  purposes  as  the  announcement  of  busi- 
ness changes  like  the  consolidaticm  or  dissolution  of  partner- 
ships, newly  adopted  policies,  changed  rates  of  discount, 
removals,  special  sales,  offers,  or  importations,  and  instructions 
to  agents. 

The  production  of  any  given  number  of  these  letters  becomes 
a  mechanical  process  and  is  therefore  much  less  expensive.  This 
fact  perhaps  above  all  others  has  led  to  the  very  general  adop- 
tion of  form  letters. 

Out  of  this  kind  of  form  letter  what  is  known  as  the  circular 
letter  has  been  developed.  It  has  been  employed  principally  as 
a  means  of  advertising,  and  has  in  the  past  been  much  used 
and  also  much  abused.  Indeed,  so  many  intolerably  bad  letters 
of  this  sort  have  been  scattered  broadcast  that  people  now 
seldom  even  read  them.  Business  men  have  spent  vast  sums 
upon  this  Inranch  of  correspondence,  which  have  not  only  been 
wasted,  but  have  even  done  damage  to  their  business.  A  cheap, 
poorly  prepared  circular  letter  is  often  nothing  less  than  a  self- 
issued  advertisement,  not  of  the  writer's  goods,  but  of  his 
shabby  methods  and  bad  taste.  Such  letters  miss  the  most 
important  advantage  of  this  particular  form.  Since  practically 
unlimited  time  may  be  taken  in  preparation,  these  letters  should 
in  every  case  be  made  the  clearest,  most  painstaking,  and  courte- 
ous statement  of  the  facts  under  consideration,  while  at  the  same 


CIRCULAR  LETTERS 


99 


time  their  outward  form  and  appearance  should  be  studied  until 
nothing  is  lacking  in  neatness  and  elegance. 

Such  letters  may  be  separately  typewritten,  mimeographed, 
printed,  or  printed  in  imitation  of  typewriting,  according  to  the 
purpose  for  which  they  are  written.  Various  printing  houses 
now  make  a  business  of  producing  forms  which  are  extremely 
difficult  to  distmguish  from  typewritten  letters.  In  a  certain 
class  of  advertising  these  have  been  and  are  to-day  extensively 
used.  The  heading  and  complimentary  address  can  easily  be 
filled  in  upon  the  typewriter,  and  a  written  or  stamped  signature 
may  be  added,  so  that  the  whole  effect,  as  far  as  outward  ap- 
pearance goes,  is  that  of  a  personal  letter.  To  such  forms,  no 
sound  objection  can  be  raised,  provided  that  in  them  no  petty 
and  obviously  false  attempt  is  made,  either  by  the  wording,  f onn, 
or  attitude  implied,  to  persuade  the  receiver  that  he  is  the  object 
of  a  special  interest  and  consideration.  Such  attempts  are  a  sham ; 
and  not  only  are  they  an  indication  of  wrong  policy,  but  they 
inevitably  prejudice  against  the  writer  every  one  who  discovers 
the  deception.  The  personal  touch  skauld  be  sought  only  in  so  far 
as  it  is  compatible  with  the  nattcre  of  the  form  employed.  Any- 
thing attempted  beyond  this  is  almost  sure  to  be  false  and  futile. 

In  form  letters  of  certain  kinds,  such  as  those  announcing  that 
bills  for  the  last  month  are  due,  or  that  some  disagreeable,  but 
necessary,  business  procedure  is  about  to  be  carried  out  in  pur- 
suance of  a  certain  fixed  policy,  the  very  opposite  of  a  personal 
touch  is  desirable.  They  serve  best  the  purpose  for  which  they 
are  written  when  they  appear  to  be  nothing  but  impersonal  forms. 

■ 

They  are  therefore  usually  printed. 
Form  letters  may  also  be  prepared  in  series,  so  that  each  letter 

is  an  outgrowth  and  definite  addition  to  those  preceding.  This 
is  particularly  desirable  in  letters  of  this  kind  used  for  advertis- 
ing purposes ;  for  the  construction  of  such  a  series  makes  pos- 
sible the  most  complete  working  out  of  the  f ollow*up  system, 
which  has  become  a  prominent  part  of  the  advertising  of  many 
progressive  firms.  Each  letter  of  such  a  series  may  then  be  des- 
ignated by  a  code  number,  and  thareby  a  complete  and  exceed- 
ingly compact  record  may  be  kept  of  all  the  correspondence 


100 


FORM  LETTERS 


mailed  to  any  customer  or  prospective  customer,  together  with 
the  date  upon  which  each  letter  has  been  sent,  by  means  of  the 
card<:atalogue  method  of  filmg  and  radexing.   (Chapter  XIII.) 

There  is  a  certain  type  of  letter  which  illustrates  a  method  of 
advertismg  now  much  used  and  frequently  found  to  be  forceful 
and  effective.  It  is  essentially  nothing  more  than  an  exemplifi- 
cation of  how  extreme  candor  may  be  strikingly  contrasted  with 
the  hackneyed  pseudo-personal  touch  of  many  circular  letters. 
It  carries  with  it  a  briskness  and  freshness  that  appeals  strongly 
to  the  common  sense  of  the  average  business  man.  But  this 
method,  too,  may  easily  be  overdone  and,  as  a  result,  become 
false  and  unsuccessful  Frankness  and  candor  must,  in  order 
to  carry  with  them  any  weight  whatever,  be  genuine.  Study 
the  following  as  an  example  of  plain  straightforwardness.  Con- 
sider carefully  whether  it  appeals  to  you  as  other  methods  of 
circular  advertising  would  not. 

Dear  Sir: 

We  have  instructed  our  special  representative  to 
call,  and,  with  your  permission,  show  you  sample  pages 
and  illustrations  of  a  new  and  very  original  set  of  books 
edited  by  the  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Reed,  Justin  McCarthy, 
M.P.,  and  Dr.  Rossiter  Johnson,  assisted  by  a  corps 
of  other  eminent  men. 

He  does  not  come  in  the  guise  of  a  newspaper 
man'';  he  is  not  forming  a  ''club  of  representative 
citizens  who  secure  this  work  at  cost";  he  is  not 
"granting  special  concessions  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
tainmg  some  testinumials  preceding  the  publishers' 
regular  sale." 

We  appeal  to  your  intelligence ;  and  our  represen- 
tative calls  to  show  you  this  work  because  you  will  at 
least  be  interested  in  examining  a  set  of  books  which 
is  as  original,  as  artistic,  as  mechanically  perfect  as  it 
is  interesting ;  and  it  is  as  distinct  from  all  other  pub- 
licatiims  as  is  its  distinguished  £d^r-in-Chtef  from  the 
great  majority  of  public  men. 


EXERCISES 


XOI 


After  you  have  examined  the  advance  pages  sub- 
mitted, our  representative  will  offer  to  provide  you 
with  a  set  at  an  honest  price,  the  regular  and  only 
price,  in  a  binding  of  your  own  selection,  for  no  other 
reason  in  the  world  than  the  reasonable  profit  arising 
from  every  sale  and  our  natural  satisfaction  in  placing 
a  work  of  such  surpassing  charm  and  value  where  it 
will  be  appreciated. 

Very  truly  yours, 

£X£RCIS£S 

I.  The  firm  of  H.  G.  Monger  &  Co.,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  advertised  last  week 
looo  yards  of  Persian  Lawn  at  i2^f.  The  entire  lot  has  been  soldy  and  anay 
mail  orders  are  coming  in  and  can  not  be  filled. 

Prepare  a  letter  that  will  serve  as  a  reply  to  all  of  these  orders.  Return  the 
remittances  and  eiqplain  that  the  limited  supply  of  Peruan  Lawn  was  eirhaiisted 
several  da3rs  ago.  This  letter  should  seek  to  adlay  the  disappointment  of  the 
customer  ;  it  should  be  courteous,  and  the  writer  should  express  regret  at  his 
inability  to  fiU  the  order. 

3.  John  A.  Maples  is  a  member  of  the  graduating  class  of  the  Erasmus  Hall 
prqnratbry  school,  and  he  wishes  to  procure  employment  during  the  summer 
months  in  order  to  meet  the  expenses  of  a  college  course  which  he  contem- 
plates. Last  season  Mr.  Maples  had  a  position  at  ^'  The  Sagamore,"  a  summer 
hotel  on  Long  Lake  in  the  Adirondacksi  and  he  has  filled  sadsfiurtorily  many 
engagements  at  concerts  and  receptions.  He  has  decided  to  send  out  fifty 
letters  of  the  same  form  to  seashore  and  mountain  summer  resorts,  soliciting  an 
engagement  as  violinist  for  the  coming  season.  The  i»imaiy  object  of  this 
letter  is  to  ascertain  if  there  is  to  be  an  opening,  and  it  is  calculated  to  serve 
only  as  a  preliminary  to  further  correspondence  in  case  it  brings  a  reply. 

Prepare  the  letter;  make  it  biie^  and  try  to  arouse  interest  without  goinig 
into  details. 

3.  The  Elliott  Drug  Cbmpany,  Heikimery  N.  Y.,  publish  annually  tiie 

"Herkimer  County  Almanac,"  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  advertise  their 
business.  The  cost  of  publishing  and  distributing  is  met  by  selling  space 
to  other  advertken.  Besides  being  a  maimal  oi  general  ii^oraiation,  the 
Ahnanac  is  interesting  because  it  contains  a  brief  history  df  the  county,  and 
pictures  of  its  public  buildingS|  officialsi  and  prominent  men. 


102 


FORM  LETTERS 


Prepm  such  a  letter  as  Mr.  EUioU  would  send  Jiot  only  to  those  fmni 
whom  he  buys  his  goods,  but  to  others  who  advertise  their  products  exten- 
sively. Set  forth  clearly  the  merits  of  the  Almanac  as  an  advertising  medium. 
Show  from  increased  sales  of  advertised  products  the  advantage  of  having 
space  in  this  periodical.  State  the  number  of  Almanacs  you  intend  to  dis- 
tribute, and  describe,  with  special  reference  to  their  means  and  intelligence, 
the  people  whom  it  will  reach.  Say  that  you  are  gcnng  to  make  it  moie  attfac- 
tive  and  laiger  than  ever  this  year,  and  quote  prices  for  advertising  space. 

4.  The  wh<desale  houses  of  Greacen  Bros,  and  S.  E.  Morse  have  been 
consolidated.  It  has  been  the  policy  of  the  former  hitherto  to  sell  goods  on 
a  credit  of  30  days,  with  a  discount  of  2%  if  bills  were  paid  m  10  days,  while 
the  latter  has  given  a  credit  of  60  days,  with  discounts  of  3%  in  10  days  and 
2%  in  30  days.  The  prices  of  Greacen  Bros.,  however,  have  been  a  shade 
lower  than  those  of  S.  E.  Morse.  The  consolidation  neoessiUtes  the  adoption 
of  a  uniform  policy,  and  the  proprietors  have  decided  to  send  a  letter  to  the 
customers  of  both  houses  announcing  the  former  prices  and  terms  of  Greacen 
Bros,  as  being  those  of  the  new  firm  of  Greacen  Bros.  &  Morse.  It  is  thdr 
purpose,  however,  to  adhere  to  the  wishes  rfa  ma|ority  of  aU  of  the  customers 
with  reference  to  terms,  so  this  policy  is  only  tentative.  This  letter  sets  forth 
the  probable  advantages  of  the  consolidation,  such  as  the  superior  management 
which  will  result  from  the  combined  experience  of  two  suoccssfol  firms, 
increased  cai»tal  and  fecOities,  a  marked  saving  in  advertising  and  salesmen's 
expenses,  all  of  which  should  result  in  lower  prices. 

Avoid  using  the  language  of  the  book  and  write  the  letter  called  for  by  these 
conditions. 

5.  As  the  advertismg  manager  of  a  large  department  store,  prepare  a 
circular  letter  announcing  a  general  sale  to  begin  on  Saturday  next  This 
letter  should  emphasize  two  items  of  foremost  unportance:  first^  a  large 
stock  <rf  Oriental  Rugs  to  be  sold  in  many  cases  at  50  cents  on  the  dollar ; 
second,  a  50%  reduction  on  your  entire  stock  of  fine  furs.  The  rugs  comprise 
an  unusually  choice  collection  of  all  sizes,  and  they  are  to  be  offered  at  prices 
as  low  as  the  cost  of  domestic  nigs.  As  evidence  of  the  extraordinary  values 
offered,  mention  the  feet  that  Anatolian  Silk  Rugs  may  be  had  for  $24.50. 
The  furs  comprise  one  of  the  largest  stocks  that  this  store  has  ever  had.  The 
styles  are  all  new  and  practical,  and  the  quaUties  have  never  been  better  at 
any  price.  The  sale  also  inchides  oflerings  of  Lace  Curtains,  Draperies, 
etc  As  women  will  be  especially  interested  in  these  bargains,  the  letters 
should  be  addressed  to  them.  The  purpose  of  this  letto*  is  to  advertise 
ben^ifal  things  It  should  therefim  be  an  appeal  to  the  esthetic  taste  of 


EXERC/SES 


your  cnstomen.  Make  them  see,  if  possible^  the  thing  you  aie  describ- 
ing. 

6.  The  Mowing  is  a  verbatim  copy  of  a  letter  sent  oat  by  a  laigie  ret^ 

book  establishment.  About  two  weeks  later  this  was  followed  by  another 
letter  of  similar  import.  Without  repeating  anything  that  is  said  in  the  first, 
write  the  second  letter  in  this  series. 

New  York,  March  22, 1905. 

Dear  Bfadam: 

We  have  secured  tiie  American  edition  of  ^French  Songs  ci 

Old  Canada,"  pictured  by  W.  Graham  Robertson,  a  descriptive  cir- 
cular of  which  you  will  find  inclosed.  The  illustrations,  which  are 
hand-colored  reproductions  of  Mr.  Robertson's  pictures,  are  the 
feature  o[  the  book;  and  the  make-up  of  the  volume  is  in  keeping 
with  the  illustrations.  The  songs  which  form  the  text  will  be  rec- 
ognized by  those  who  have  traveled  among  the  Frendi  Canadians. 

At  the  remarkably  low  price  of  $10  a  limited  edition  of  100 
CC^ies,  which  is  all  we  can  offer  to  our  customers,  will  undoubtedly 
soon  be  taken.  May  we  iu>t  include  you  among  the  subscribers  to 
tills  woik? 

Respectfiilly  yours, 


XI.   TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 

■X. 


Telegrams  and  cablegrams  call  for  language  that  has  been 

reduced  to  its  lowest  terms.  The  only  requisites  of  such  com- 
munications are  clearness  and  brevity.  Clearness  is,  of  course, 
necessary  in  any  communication ;  no  condensation  must,  there- 
fore, be  attempted  that  will  confuse  the  meaning  to  be  con- 
veyed, and  it  is  of  great  importance  that  a  message  should  be 
re-read  before  sending,  in  order  to  determine  whether  the  omis- 
sion of  various  conjunctions,  adverbs,  prepositions,  verbs,  etc., 
does  not  make  the  wording  liable  to  a  double  interpreta- 
tion. Brevity  is,  in  telegraphing,  synonymous  with  economy. 
All  unnecessary  words,  or  words  which  are  implied  by  other 
words,  should  therefore  be  omitted.  Nothing,  however,  is  to 
be  gained  by  reducing  a  message  to  less  than  ten  words,  for 
the  minimum  charge  allows  the  writer  to  send  this  number; 
that  is  to  say,  all  messages  of  from  one  to  ten  words  are  sub- 
ject to  the  same  charge. 

Not  infrequently  it  becomes  necessary  in  business  to  write 
a  message  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  be  intelligible  only  to  the 
receiver.  This  need,  together  with  the  great  saving  of  expense 
involved,  has  given  rise  to  code  systems,  which  are  now  exten- 
sively used  in  telegraphing,  as  well  as  in  cabling.  For  use  in 
cable  messages,  a  business  house  may  adopt  a  code  name  which, 
when  placed  in  the  cable  company's  directory,  will  indicate  the 
firm's  name  and  complete  address:  thus  "Carco"  might  stand 
for  The  United  Car  Company,  1068  Main  St,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
Such  a  code  name,  however,  appUes  exclusively  to  cable  mes- 
sages, where  every  word  or  number  of  the  name  and  address, 
as  well  as  of  the  signature,  is  counted  and  charged  for,  while 
in  telegrams  no  charge  is  made  for  the  address  or  signature. 
Any  firm  may  also  cpnstnict  a  private  code  that  will  serve  its 

104 


\ 


CODE  MESSAGES  lOS 

own  needs  in  telegraphic  or  cable  communications  to  and  from 
agents  or  customers.  The  following  will  serve  to  illustrate  in 
part  what  such  a  code  might  be : 

Code  W&rd  E^uwaleni  Phrase 

Absithmos.  Replying  to  your  letter  of. 

Bettactica.  Your  order  has  been  shipped. 

Brasenose.  Your  holdings  have  dropped  three  points. 

Comogudge.  We  have  authorized  our  agent. 

Desuit.  Orders  must  be  received  within  twenty-four  hours. 

Evatcas.  Shall  we  accept  best  offer  .^^ 

Fifi.  Draw  on  us  at  sight  for  an  amount  not  to  exceed  ten  thousand 

dollars. 

Goblin.  Buy  one  hundred  shares  at  market  price. 

Hexix.  Consignee  insolvent,  hold  goods  subject  to  our  order. 

The  cable  and  telegraph  companies,  in  order  to  protect 

themselves,  have  adopted  certain  rules  as  to  code  messages. 
Code  words  must  be  pronounceable,  and  no  code  word  will 
be  accepted  which  contains  more  than  ten  letters.  In  unpro- 
nounceable code  words,  each  letter  is  considered  to  be  a  word 
in  fixing  the  charge.  In  cipher  cable  messages,  which  may 
be  composed  wholly  or  partly  of  groups  of  figures,  the  groups 
of  figures  are  counted  at  the  rate  of  five  figures  or  fracticm 
thereof  to  a  word.  If  code  words  and  plain  language  are  used 
in  the  same  cable  message,  not  only  is  every  code  word  (which 
must  not  exceed  ten  letters)  and  every  word  in  plain  language 
counted,  but,  if  any  word  in  plain  language  contains  more  than 
ten  letters,  every  ten  letters  or  fraction  thereof  is  considered  to 
be  a  word,  and  a  charge  is  made  accordingly.  It  is  also  impor- 
tant in  cabling  to  notice  that  words  <rf  mcnre  than  fifteen  charac- 
ters in  ordinary  language  are  counted  as  two  words. 

The  telegraph  companies  have  made  these  general  rules  as  to 
what  shall  be  counted  and  charged  for  in  a  message : 

All  words,  figures,  and  separated  letters  in  the  body  of  a  mes- 
sage, that  is  to  say,  all  dictionary  words,  initial  letters,  surnames 
of  persons,  names  of  cities,  towns,  villages,  states,  or  territories, 
or  names  of  Canadian  provinces,  or  aU  abbreviaticms  of  the 
same;  likewise  all  abbreviations  of  weights  and  measures  in 


I06  '   TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 

common  use  will  each  be  counted  as  a  word,  and  charged  for 
accordingly.  In  names  of  countries  or  counties,  each  word  will 
be  counted 

Figures,  decimal  points,  bars  of  division,  such  as  punctuation, 
and  letters,  except  pronounceable  groups  of  letters  used  as  code 
words,  will  be  counted — each  separately  —  as  one  word.  In 
ordinal  numerals  the  affixes  st^  nd^  tk^  will  each  be  counted  a$ 
one  word. 

All  pronounceable  groups  of  letters,  when  such  groups  are 
not  dictionary  words  or  combinations  of  dictionary  words,  will 
be  counted  at  the  rate  of  ten  letters,  or  fraction  thereof,  to  the 
word.  When  such  groups  are  made  up  of  combinations  of  dic- 
tionary words,  each  dictionary  word  so  used  will  be  counted  as 
one  word.  The  following  extract  from  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  will  illustrate  the 
application  of  these  rules: 

McGregor  i  word      All-right  2  words 

O'Connor  ......    i  word     Alright  2  words 

Blown,  Jr  %  words    Cwt.  i  word 

New  Yoik  ......    I  word     Lbs.  i  woid 

New  York  State  ....   2  words     100000  6  words 

Queen  Anne  County     .    .    3  words     One  hundred  thousand  .    .    3  words 

Van  Rensselaer  County     .   2  words     Amaurecis  i  word 

44.68  5  words    ChandnokHis  2  wonk 


28C83   .......   5  words    ByxtmiQO  ......   8  words 

Come-bring  book     ...   4  words    Xyfl94sm  8  words 

Thfe  common  abbreviations^  A.M.,  P.M.,  F.  O.  B.,  C.  O.  D.,  O.  K.,  and  per 
centy  will,  however,  be  counted  as  one  word. 

There  are  several  kinds  of  telegraphic  messages.  Fvst,  the 
ordinary  day  message,  to  which  the  ordinary  rate  applies ;  sec- 
ond, the  night  message,  which  will  be  sent  during  the  night 
to  be  delivered  as  soon  as  possible  cm  the  morning  following  and 
for  which  less  than  the  ordinary  rate  is  charged ;  third,  the  re- 
peated message,  the  object  of  which  is  to  assure  correct  wording 
and  for  the  repeating  of  which  one  half  th^e  usual  rate  is  charged 
in  addition. 

Telegraph  companies  also  widertake  td  insure  messages,  and 


EXERCISES 


for  a  consideration  will  indemnify  the  sender  for  any  loss  in- 
curred through  mistake  in  transmission  or  failure  in  delivery. 

Telegraph  companies  are  required  by  law  to  transmit  mes- 
sages exactly  as  they  are  written  by  the  sender ;  even  obvious 
mistakes  in  spelling  may  not  be  corrected  by  the  company's 
agent. 

Upon  request  of  the  sender,  a  duplicate  copy  will  be  made 
by  the  company's  agent,  which  may  be  retained  by  the  sender 
as  evidence  of  the  exact  wording  of  a  message.  This  may 
sometimes  become  important  as  evidence  in  case  of  a  mistake 
in  transmission  that  results  in  a  misunderstanding,  involving 
bss,  between  the  writer  and  the  receiver. 

The  relations  existing  between  telegraph  companies  and  their 
patrons  are  of  a  confidential  nature,  and  companies  have  no  right 
to  disclose  the  contents  of  any  message  except  when  they  are 
required  to  do  so  by  a  court  order. 

Money  may  be  sent  by  telegraph.  The  cost  includes  a  charge 
for  the  telegraphic  seryice  necessary  to  make  the  transfer,  and  a 
secondary  chaise  based  upon  a  fixed  schedule  of  rates  varying 
according  to  the  amount  sent. 

EXERCISES 

In  writing  the  following  messages,  confine  the  cablegrams  to  the  fewest 
words  possible  and  the  telegrams  to  ten  words,  if  possible.   But  never,  under 

any  circumstances,  sacrifice  clearness  to  brevity. 

1.  Write  a  tdegram  to  Alden  M.  Mills,  Canton,  Ohio,  saying  you  will 
pass  through  his  place  at  one  o'clock  p.m.  to-morrow,  and  that  you  would  like 
to  see  him  at  the  station. 

2.  Write  a  telegram  to  Burke  &  Son,  Duluth,  Minn.,  saying  that  their  ship- 
ment of  wheat  is  not  equal  to  sample,  and  that  you  hold  it  subject  to  their 
(ntier. 

3.  Write  a  tel^;ram  to  Loeb,  Fitter  &  Burleigh,  98  River  Street,  New 
Orleans,  La.,  asking  permission  to  draw  on  them  at  five  days'  sight  for  Five 
Hundred  Dollars.  Ask  them  when  they  will  remit  if  they  do  not  wish  to  honor 
your  draft. 

4.  Tel^fraph  your  traveling  agent,  Mr.  Gary  A.  Wood,  The  Algonquin, 
Buffalo,  N.Y.y  instructing  him  to  skip  Qeveland  and  Detroit,  go  on  to  Chicago. 


io8 


TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 


and  retum  by  the  way  of  Pittsbuig.  Tell  him  that  a  letter  of  instructions 

will  reach  him  at  Chicago. 

5.  Order  by  telegraph  of  the  United  States  Steel  Co.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  100 

tons  of  Angles  to  be  shipped  by  Pennsylvania  Railroad  freight 

6.  An  opportunity  presents  itself  for  a  very  profitable  investment  in  real 
estate  at  the  place  of  your  temporary  residence.  You  have  secured  an  option 
of  24  hours  on  the  property.  Write  a  tel^fram  to  your  partnor,  Henry  B. 
Budc,  36  Chestnut  St.,  I^iladelphia,  asking  his  assent  to  a  joint  investment  of 
%  20,000.00  in  this  property.  Give  all  necessary  information,  and  conhne  the 
message  to  the  fewest  words  possible. 

7.  Write  a  telegram  to  James  M.  Hall,  136  Prairie  St.,  IndianapoUs,  Ind., 
asking  him  to  wire  you  at  once  t345.oa 

8.  Answer  the  foregoing,  stating  that  Benjamin  Vaughan  will  identiiy  if 
necessary. 

9.  Telegraph  to  Painter  &  Sons,  Crown  St,  Meriden,  Conn.,  asking  them 
to  ship  at  once  by  American  Express  your  order  of  brass  furnishings  given 
their  Mr.  WilUams  on  the  8th  instant. 

10.  Telegraph  to  Whitehouse  &  Hardy,  Chapel  St.,  New  Haven,  Conn., 
telling  them  that  you  can  not  fill  their  order  Sor  12  doz.  men's  Vid  Calf  until 
the  1st  proximo. 

u.  Telegraph  to  Uillis,  Bagg  &  Co.,  Dayton,  Ohio»  accepting  their  offer 
of  the  I2th  instant  ixx  3  doc  nien^s  bicydes  at  $20.00  net  each. 

12.  Telegraph  to  Marsh,  Houston  &  Clayton,  So.  12th  St.,  Omaha,  Nebr., 
dedining  theur  offer  to  bqpn  at  once  tiie  handling  of  thehr  Mne  of  garden 
tools. 

^  13.  Tel^^niph  to  Howard,  HUton  &  Howard,  16  East  28th  St,  Qndnnati, 
Ohio,  asking  them  for  immediate  quotations  on  the  sted  barrel  hoops  you 
inspected  at  their  factory  on  May  7. 

14.  Telegraph  to  Joseph  H.  Pierce,  Hotel  Niagara,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  saying 

that  you  can  not  meet  him  in  Cleveland,  but  that  you  will  be  at  the  Russell 
House,  Detroit,  on  July  6. 

15.  Telegraph  to  your  agent,  J.  C.  Parsons,  at  Hotel  Continental,  Chicago, 
111.,  asking  him  to  send  at  once  the  details  of  the  order  given  him  on  July  2 
by  C.  N.  Huntington  &  Co.,  Wheeling,  West  Va. 

16.  Tdegraph  to  C.  A.  Atkins,  61  N  St,  Washington,  D.  C,  that  there 
will  be  a  meeting  on  the  day  after  to-monow  of  the  dhrectors  of  the  United 
Cotton  Merdiants^  Association^  at  which  his  presence  is  urgently  requested. 


« 


EXERCISES  109 

17.  Telegraph  to  your  home  firm,  stating  that  on  account  of  a  railway 
wreck  you  will  be  unable  to  reach  Mobile  in  time  to  see  L.  D.  James,  man- 
ager of  the  blanch  office  there,  before  he  starts  for  New  Orleans.  Ask  for 
instructions. 

18.  Tdegraph  to  your  attorney,  C.  M.  Lewis,  Hackensack,  N.  J.,  request- 
ing him  to  bring  at  once  to  your  office  the  papers  in  his  case  against  Munger 
&  Ca  of  Jersey  City. 

19.  Send  a  cablegram  to  H.  C.  Hutton,  26  St.  Helen's  Place,  Bishopsgate, 
£.  C,  London,  England  (code  address  <^  Chuton  ^'),  asking  him  to  caned  your 
request  for  the  immediate  shipment  of  woolen  stuf&  ordered  on  Sept  la 

20.  Send  a  cabl^;nun  to  Charles  P.  White,  South  Western  Hotd,  Soi^* 
ampton,  England,  telling  him  that  you  will  arrive  in  Livapod  on  S.S.  CeUic 
May  10. 

21.  Send  a  cablegram  to  William  J.  Pritchard,  Strada  Nuova  di  Posilipo, 
Pension  Sabelli,  Napoli,  Italy,  stating  that  your  steamer  will  be  delayed  in 
sailing  three  days,  and  asking  him  to  awdt  your  arrival. 

22.  Send  a  cablegram  to  Thomas  C.  Hoffman,  Hotel  du  Lac,  Lucerne, 

Switzerland,  adaqg  him  to  meet  yon  on  the  arrival  of  the  S.S.  Lmiiardia  in 
Genoa,  July  2. 

23.  Send  a  caUqptam  to  John  D.  Azman,  c/o  Cook  &  Son,  Dresden, 
Germany,  acceptii^r  his  oier  of  the  secretaryship  of  the  American  Qmsulate 
at  Berne,  Switzerland. 


XII.    CONTRACT  RELATIONS  OF 

CORRESPONDENTS 

The  great  diversity  of  past  decisions  at  law  concerning  what 
constitutes  a  legal  and  binding  contract  makes  any  brief  treat- 
ment of  the  subject  not  only  inadequate  but  misleading.  No 
attempt  will  therefore  be  made  here  to  UMlfc  in  detail  the 
questions  which  arise  in  connection  with  many  phases  of  the 
contract  relationship.  It  will  sufficiently  serve  the  require- 
ments of  our  present  purpose  to  indicate  the  general  trend  of 
adjudications,  together  with  two  very  important^  though  often 
misunderstood,  factors  in  almost  every  contract  made  by  mail, 
telegraph,  or  messenger;  namely,  the  carrier  afid  the  time 
imvotued.  In  general  it  has  been  held  that,  if  the  person 
from  whom  the  proposition  originates  names  to  the  person  to 
whom  the  proposition  is  made  the  carrier  that  he  wishes  to  be 
the  means  of  transmitting  to  him  the  second  party's  consent, 
and  if  the  second  person  involved  does  use  that  carrier  witkin 
a  reasonable  time,  a  contract  is  completed  as  soon  as  the  latter 
hands  over  to  such  a  carrier  a  statement  of  his  consent 

The  following,  in  which  the  italics  have  been  added  for  em- 
phasis, is  an  extract  from  Parsons  on  Contracts,''  Book  II, 
Chap.  II,  which  deals  with  some  of  the  primary  phases  of  this 
subject  in  so  far  as  they  relate  to  contracts  wherein  the  propo- 
sition and  the  reply  are  both  made  by  letter  : 

It  is  unquestionably  true  as  a  general  proposition,  that  a  contnct  can  not 
bind  the  party  proposing  it,  and  indeed  that  there  is  no  contract,  onti!  the  ac- 
ceptance of  the  offer  by  the  party  receiving  it  is  in  some  way  actually  or  con- 
stracdvdy  communicated  to  the  party  making  the  offer.  We  consider  that  an 
oflfer  by  letter  is  a  contimiing  offer  until  the  letter  be  received,  and  for  a  reason- 
able time  thereafter,  during  which  the  party  to  whom  it  is  addrpsiifd  n^y 
accept  the  offer,  and  communicate  the  £u:t  of  his  acceptance.  We  hdd  also 
that  this  oSkst  may  be  withdrawn  by  the  maker  at  any  moment ;  and  that  it  is 
withdrawn  as  soon  as  a  notice  of  such  withdrawal  reaches  the  party  to  whom 
the  offer  is  made,  and  not  be/ore.   If,  therefore^  that  party  acupts  the  offer 

no 


CONTRACT  RELATIONS  OF  CORRESPONDENTS      1 1 1 


before  such  withdrawal,  the  bargain  is  completed;  there  is  then  a  contract 
founded  upon  mutual  assent.  And  an  acceptance  having  this  effect  is  made, 
and  u  communicated  under  the  nik  already  stated,  when  the  party  receiving  the 
cX[tt  p9its  into  the  mail  his  atiswer  accepting  it.  Thus,  if  A,  in  Boston,  on  the 
first  day  of  January,  writes  to  B,  in  Baldmore,  making  an  offer,  and  this  letter 
reaches  Baltimore  on  the  third,  and  B  forthwith  answers  the  letter,  accepting 
the  offer,  putting  the  letter  into  the  mail  that  day ;  and  on  the  second  of  Janu- 
ary A  writes  withdrawing  the  offer,  and  hb  letter  of  withdrawal  reaches  B  on  the 
fourth,  there  is  nevertheless  a  contract  made  between  the  parties.  If  the  <^er 
was  to  sell  goods,  B,  on  tendering  the  price,  may  claim  the  goods ;  if  the  offer 
was  to  insure  B's  ship,  B  may  tender  the  premium  and  demand  the  policy,  and 
hold  A  as  an  insurer  of  his  ship.    And  so  of  any  other  offer  or  proposition. 

Sometimes  a  man  makes  an  offer  saying  if  there  be  no  answer,  or  none  by  a 
return  mail,  or  by  a  certain  time,  he  shall  consider  the  offer  accepted.  Bat  he  has 
no  right  to  impose  these  conditions,  and  silence  is  no  acceptance  of  the  offer. 

The  foregoing  assumes  that  the  letters  have  been  properly 
addressed,  and  that  there  has  been  no  delay  in  transmissiim. 
It  will  be  seen  in  addition  that  the  law  requires  a  reasonable 
promptness  in  replying  on  the  part  of  the  receiver,  and  that 
ndther  the  writer  nor  the  receiver  can  be  held  accountable  for 
the  delay  or  negligence  of  the  other  or  of  the  carrier. 

It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  the  law  assumes  the  receiver  will 
use  the  same  method  of  transmitting  his  acceptance  as  the 
sender  used  in  transmitting  his  proposition.  If,  on  the  con- 
trary, he  should  select  his  own  carrier  for  the  transmission  of 
his  reply  (which  carrier  becomes  as  a  result  his  own  agent)  by 
repl3ring,.  for  instance,  to  a  telegraphic  proportion  by  the  use 
of  the  mail,  or  by  replying  to  a  proposition  received  through 
the  mail  by  the  use  of  the  telegraph,  he  extends  the  time  during 
which  a  withdrawal  may  be  made ;  for  no  contract  is  effected 
until  such  acceptance  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  person  from 
whom  the  proposition  originally  came. 

It  is,  however,  not  so  certain  that  the  telegraph,  even  though 
used  by  both  parties  to  the  transaction,  is  the  agent  of  tiie 
sender  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  an  acceptance;  that  is  to 
say,  that  an  acceptance  dates  from  the  time  when  an  assenting 
reply  is  handed  to  the  telegraph  company.  It  rather  seems, 
on  the  contrary,  that  an  acceptance  thus  sent  must  actually  be 
reodved  bef(Mre  a  contract  is  omipleted 


XIII.    HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE 

Receiving  and  Answering  Letters.  —  Letters  are  usually  opened 

by  cutting  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  envelope.  In  large  con- 
cerns, one  man,  who.is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  scope 
Und  policy  of  the  entire  business,  sorts  the  incoming  mail,  col- 
lecting all  remittances  inclosed,  and  stamping  upon  each  letter 
the  code  number  of  the  person  in  charge  of  the  particular 
department  to  which  the  business  of  the  letter  refers.  If  the 
letter  must  pass  through  several  hands,  the  code  number  of 
each  person  to  whom  it  is  referred  is  stamped  upon  it,  in  the 
order  in  which  it  is  intended  he  shall  receive  it.  Some  firms 
also  stamp  upon  all  letters  the  date  on  which  they  have  been 
received,  and  require  all  correspondents  in  their  office  to  stamp, 
in  addition,  the  date  on  which  the  answer  was  written.  The 
envelopes  are  preserved  until  they  have  been  reexamined  to 
make  sure  that  no  inclosures  have  been  overlooked,  and  counted 
to  determine  whether  the  number  of  envelopes  corresponds  to 
the  number  of  letters  that  have  been  sorted.  The  receptacles 
in  which  letters  are  placed  in  sorting  are  the  medium  of  distri- 
bution. The  person  receiving  letters  that  have  been  referred 
to  him  will  either  indicate  upon  each  the  comment  necessary  for 
the  writing  of  an  answer  or  he  will  himself  reply.  He  will 
usually  indicate  that  he  has  passed  upon  a  letter  by  writing  his 
initials  across  his  own  code  number  previously  stamped  upon  it 
by  the  mail  clerk.  If  he  has  personally  dictated  an  answer,  his 
reply,  a  copy  of  his  reply,  and  the  original  will  be  fastened 
together  and  returned  to  the  main  office,  where  the  reply  will 
be  made  ready  for  mailing,  and  the  original  and  copy  will  be 
filed. 

Filing  Correspondence.  —  While  each  firm  should  have  a  filing 
system  adapted  to  the  conditions  and  peculiarities  of  its  own 
business,  tiiere  arc  certain  fundamental  principles  which  are  the 

1X2 


FIUNG  CORRESPONDENCE 


113 


basis  of  all  good  systems.  Without  attempting  to  go  into  de- 
tails, it  may  be  profitable  for  the  student  to  note  some  of  the 
larger  features  which  characterize  the  systems  in  general  use. 

The  purpose  of  keeping  on  file  all  letters  received  and  copies 
of  all  replies  is  to  have  ready  for  reference  the  information 
which  such  letters  and  replies  contain.  The.  problem  of  a  cor- 
respondent does  not  differ  from  that  which  confronts  the  author 
of  a  book ;  it  entails  the  grouping,  classification,  and  arrange- 


Fig.  I 


ment  of  information  in  such  a  way  that  any  subject  desired 
may  be  readily  located  by  consulting  an  index.  In  fact,  a  fil- 
ing cabinet  is  nothing  more  than  a  large  loose-leaf  book,  each 
letter  with  its  reply  being  a  detached  leaf  which  may  be  re- 
moved at  any  time.  And  as  the  arrangement  and  indexing  of 
different  books  call  for  different  treatment,  so  the  correspond 
dence  of  different  concerns  calls  for  different  plans  of  distribu- 
tion and  classification.  A  directory  or  a  dictionary  needs  no 
separate  index,  for  it  is  its  own  index,  while  a  treatise  on  law, 
from  the  nature  of  the  subject  involved,,  would  need  to  be 

OOlf.  CORRESPONDBNCB — S 


114 


HANDLING  CORRESPONDENCE 


dexed  by  chapters,  by  topics,  and  sub-topics,  by  cases  cited,  etc. 

So  it  is  with  the  letter  file. 

The  small  correspondent  can  get  along  with  one  file  divided 
into  compartments  alphabetically  arranged.  Compartment "  A  " 
will  hold  all  the  letters  from  and  replies  to  persons  the  first 
letter  of  whose  ns^mes  is  A.  Each  of  the  other  compartments 
will  perform  a  like  service,  and  the  only  index  necessary  for 
such  a  file  is  the  projecting  letters  of  the  alphabet  which  desig- 
nate each  pocket  or  compartment. 

Figure  i  shows  the  simplest  form  of  the  letter  file,  with  com- 
partments alphabetically  arranged. 

As  the  correspondence  of  a  business  outgrows  the  capacity  of 
tiiis  small  file,  the  system  may  be  expanded  by  increasing  the 


number  of  compartments  and  also  the  number  of  index  charac- 
ters. This  may  be  done  by  employing,  instead  of  the  initial 
letter,  the  first  two  or  three  letters  of  the  name. 


GEOGRAPHICAL  INDEX 


"5 


Figure  2  shows  the  usual  form  of  the  vertical  letter  file  cabi- 
net It  is  called  a  vertical  file  because  the  letters  in  it  occupy 
a  nearly  vertical  position 

Geographical  Index.  —  Retail  business  usually  operates  within 
a  limited  territory,  and  its  correspondence  has  to  do  principally 
with  retail  sales.  It  does  not  cover  a  very  wide  range  of  sub- 
ject-matter and  it  is  characterized  by  occasional  communications 
from  a  long  list  of  correspondents.  The  needs  of  such  a  busi- 
ness are  readily  met  by  the  alphabetical  arrangement  of  the 
name  index.  The  cond  ions  existing  in  a  wholesale  busi- 
ness, however,  are  reversed.  Here  the  correspondents  are 
fewer,  the  volume  of  business  done  with  each,  larger.  More- 
over, the  geographical  extent  of  the  wholesale  market  is  practi- 


FlG.  3 


cally  unlimited,  and  efficient  management  may  require  that  the 

territory  covered  be  divided  into  districts.  These  divisions  may 
be  by  countries,  states,  or  cities,  and  the  system  of  filing  corre- 
spondence will  usually  follow  the  general  plan  of  business  or- 
ganization. If  the  larger  territorial  divisions  are  by  states, 
folders  properly  labeled  may  be  assigned  each  city  or  town  in 
which  correspondents  reside,  and  these  may  be  arranged  in 
alphabetical  order  in  front  of  the  guide  card  designating  the 
state  in  which  the  respective  cities  and  towns  are  located. 
Scattering  letters  from  different  points  in  the  same  state  may 
be  grouped  under  the  head  of  "  Miscellaneous,"  and^assigned  a 
compartment  so  labeled.     When  the  correspondence  of  a 


Il6  HANDUNG  CORRESPONDENCE 

single  firm  is  sufficiently  large  it  may  be  assigned  an  individual 
folder,  but  this  must  be  kept  in  or  next  to  the  place  compart- 
ment to  which  it  relates.    Figure  3  illustrates  a  classification  on 

a  geographical  basis. 

The  Numerical  System. — When  the  number  of  correspondents 

runs  into  hundreds  and  thousands,  and  the  number  of  letters 


Fia4 


received  into  tens  and  hundreds  of  thousands,  sometimes  even 
milUons,  the  capacity  of  the  ordinary  alphabetical  system  is  no 
longer  adequate,  and  the  letter  files  must  be  numbered  instead  of 
lettered.  Numbers  are  more  flexible,  more  definite  than  names, 
and  occupy  less  space.  In  giving  to  each  permanent  correspon- 
dent a  file  number,"  that  is,  a  number  which  designates  the 
compartment  in  the  cabinet  which  will  contain  all  letters  received 
from  him  and  copies  of  all  lettm  written  to  him,  you  are  merely 
substituting  a  number  fpr  a  name.   The  plan  and  system  remain 


THE  CARD  INDEX 


117 


the  same.  The  essential  difference  between  the  simplest  alpha- 
betical and  the  most  complex  numerical  system  is  that  the  latter 
necessitates  an  index  separate  and  distinct  from  the  file  itself. 
This  is  usually  very  like  the  card-index  file  that  you  have  seen 
in  public  libraries. 

The  letter  file  referred  to  in  the  preceding  paragraphs,  whether 
it  is  lettered  or  numbered,  usually  takes  the  form  of  a  drawer, 
inside  of  which  is  a  cardboard  or  manila  paper  case  divided 
into  pockets,  or  compartments.  Some  offices  use  shallow 
drawers  so  that  the  letters  lie  flat  when  filed,  but  it  is  usually 
more  convenient  for  reference  to  have  the  letters  filed  verti- 
cally, and  this  plan  calls  for  a  deeper  drawer,  as  illustrated 
in  Figs.  2  and  4.  In  the  numerical  system  each  drawer  is 
assigned  as  many  numbers  as  there  are  compartments.  Pro- 
jecting tabs,  numbered  at  intervals  of  ten  or  more,  indicate  the 
location  of  any  compartment.  Figure  4  shows  a  drawer  from  a 
letter  cabinet  in  which  the  pockets  are  numbered. 

When  a  sufficient  number  of  letters  have  been  received  from 
a  new  correspondent  to  entitle  him  to  be  considered  permanent, 
he  is  given  a  number,  assigned  a  compartment  in  the  letter  file, 
and  everything  thereafter  that  concerns  him  is  placed  in  that 
compartment.  His  number,  name,  and  address  are  then  recorded 
upon  a  card  in  the  card-^index  file. 

The  Card  Index.  —  One  of  the  most  valuable  features  of  the 
numerical  system  is  found  in  the  great  capacity  and  varied  use- 
fulness of  the  separate  card  index.  It  is  often  convenirat  to 
index  correspondence,  not  merely  by  the  names  of  the  writers, 
but  also  by  the  topics  under  discussion  or  by  the  states  or  locali- 
ties in  which  correspondents  reside.  On  a  large  scale  this 
would  be  impracticable  without  the  use  of  a  separate  index. 
An  index  card  may  contain  any  information  necessary  for  a 
complete  reference  to  the  business  which  has  been  or  is  being 
transacted  with  any  given  individuaL  If  the  circumstances  of 
a  business  call  for  indexing  merely  by  names,  each  card  in  the 
index  file  will  contain  the  name,  address,  and  file  number  of  the 
writer.  If  more  than  one  correspondent  is  connected  with 
the  same  firm,  or  contributes  information  upon  the  same  subject. 


Il8  HANDLING  CORRE^FONDENCE 

all  such  correspondents  are  given  a  common  file  number.  Each 
correspondent  will,  of  course,  have  his  own  separate  card  prop- 
erly placed  in  the  card-index  file,  upon  which  card  some  ade- 
quate reference  will  be  made  to  all  other  cards  containing  the 
names  of  persons  whose  letters  supplement  in  any  way  his  own. 
Figures  5,6,  and  /illustrate  the  system  of  cross  reference  by 
means  of  which  the  names  of  several  correspondents  serve  as  a 
medium  of  reaching  a  single  subject 


Name  Bate^  7n^<f.  (ga.   File  Number  36/ 

Address  cAeAnMAjk,  <A.  f,    

See  also  Sclw-.  £.  €Umum^   ^  

See  also  ffLffi^  V  Sa/yLwM  


Fig.  5 


Name  €le/i9uym.,  €d^.  jC.  FUeNymba*  35/ 

Address  %  Bale^  ?n(f.  fo.,  o/l[i/i4HMjk,  of.  f.  

See  also  BaZ&o.  ??l(<f.  

See  also  /fu^Cna^  Y  BoivCw^M   


Fig.  6 


THE  CARD  INDEX 


119 


Name  /fi<f<fin^  2^  BoaXau^   File  Number  86/ 

Address  /8  d^nM  ^t.,  tA&uf-  IfiyJo    

See  also  BateA.  TH^.     

See  also  Sd/uh,  (LUmvan^.  


Fia7 

While  the  compartments  in  the  letter  file  are  arranged  numeri- 
cally, the  cards  in  the  card-index  file  are  arranged  alphabetically. 
There  will  be  as  many  drawers  of  the  card-index  file  as  the  ex- 
tent of  the  correspondence  calls  for.  If  more  than  one,  each  will 
be  assigned  a  certain  portion  of  the  names  or  subjects  indexed, 
and  will  be  lettered  accordingly.    Each  drawer  is  divided  into 


Fig.  8 


sections  by  projecting  colored  guide  cai'ds.  The  guide  cards 
are  lettered  according  to  their  alphabetical  position,  and  indicate 
the  location  of  the  card  desired.  For  illustration,  back  of  the 
guide  card  Bol-Bor will  be  found  all  names  beginning  with 
Bol,  Bom,  Bon,  etc.,  to  Bor.  Figure  8  illustrates  the  separate 
card-index  file  for  indexing  correspondence. 


I20 


HANDUNG  CORRESPONDENCE 


Topic^d  Index.  —  The  circumstances  of  a  business  may 
require  that  a  topic,  or  subject,  index  supplement  the  name 
indeiL  An  index  card  is  then  prepared  for  each  topic  under 
discussion,  and  listed  upon  that  card  are  to  be  found  the  names 
of  the  various  individuals  whose  letters  c<mtribute  anything 
bearing  upon  that  subject.  It  sometimes  even  happens  that  the 
nature  of  a  business  may  make  the  various  topics  under  consid- 
eration of  greater  importance  as  a  means  of  classification  and 
systemization  than  the  names  of  different  correspondents,  since 
the  paramount  requurement  is  the  power  of  turning  at  once  to 
all  letters  on  the  same  subject.  In  such  a  case,  each  topic  is 
assigned  a  separate  compartment  and  given  its  own  .file  number. 
All  correspondents  contributing  anything  upon  that  topic  are 
then  given  the  file  number  of  that  single  topic  compartment  in 
which  all  their  letters  collectively  are  placed. 

In  other  words,  if  the  classification  and  grouping  is  by  topics 
alone,  the  letters  of  all  contributors  to  a  given  topic,  as  they  are 
received,  are  assembled  and  kept  together  in  the  compartment 
of  that  topic ;  while,  if  the  classification  and  grouping  is  accord- 


TofHc  Sk&  /ifoufkton  SUat& 

References : 

JSuttU  V   

B  yt&el&.  ..^ 

Fia9 


ing  to  the  names  of  the  writers,  it  is  also  possible  to  supplement 
the  name  index  by  an  incidental  topic-card  index,  each  topic 
card  of  which  contains  the  name  and  file  number  of  each  corre- 
spondent in  whose  compartment  are  letters  bearing  upon  that 
topic.    By  means  of  such  supplementary  topic  cards,  all  such 


DUPUCATING 


121 


letters  may  easily  be  assembled,  whenever  needed  for  refeience. 
Figure  9  illustrates  a  topic-index  card  of  the  latter  sort. 

So  it  is  seen  that  the  index  cards,  however  classified  or  ar- 
ranged, refer  directly  by  a  file  number  to  some  compartment  of 
the  letter  file  which  is  the  principal  source  of  information  upon 
any  given  topic,  and  at  the  same  time  they  may  be  so  constructed 
as  to  contain  references  to  all  other  sources  of  information  upon 
this  same  topic.  , 

Permanent  Letter  Files.  —  As  the  compartments  in  the  letter 
files  fill,  it  becomes  necessary  to  transfer  letters  to  permanent 
files  or  to  transfer  cases.  The  frequency  with  which  letters  are 
transferred  to  permanent  receptacles  depends  wholly  upon  the 
number  received  in  a  given  time.  Some  houses  make  transfers 
every  month,  others  twice  a  year,  others  still  not  more  than  once 
a  year ;  and  others  transfer  from  each  drawer  whenever  it  be- 
comes full.  In  making  a  transfer  two  things  are  essential :  first, 
letters  of  a  recent  date  must  be  left  in  the  temporary  file,  since 
thfy  may  be  needed  for  occasional  reference ;  second,  some  ade- 
quate  record  of  the  transfer  must  be  left  in  the  temporary  file. 
Such  record  should  show  what  period  of  time  and  what  corre- 
spondents have  been  embraced  in  the  transfer,  and  there  should 
also  be  a  very  definite  reference,  usually  by  number,  to  the  case 
or  file  to  which  the  transfer  has  been  made. 

Duplicating.  —  In  discussing  the  subjects  of  filing  and  indexing, 
it  has  .been  assumed  that  copies  of  replies  are  to  be  filed  with 
the  original  letters,  thus  keeping  for  reference  a  complete  record 
in  one  place.  This  plan  is  rapidly  growing  in  favor  in  large 
offices,  although  the  old-style  tissue  letter  book,  in  which  copies 
of  all  letters  sent  out  are  preserved  in  chronological  order,  is 
still  in  use  very  extensively.  The  advantage  of  having  a  copy 
of  the  reply  filed  with  a  letter  is  obvious.  Oftentimes  one  can 
be  rightly  interpreted  only  in  connection  with  the  other,  and 
much  time  and  trouble  is  saved  by  having  both  in  one  pocket. 
Some  concerns  make  carbon  copies  of  replies  on  the  backs  of 
the  original  letters.  This  plan  prevents  their  becoming  sepa- 
rated, but  its  disadvantages,  perhaps,  outweigh  the  single  point 
in  its  favor. 


I 


XIV.     CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 

1.  The  following  extract,  covering  in  part  the  month  of 
January,  1905,  has  been  taken  from  the  personal  business 
narrative  of  Nelson  Field,  342  So.  Salina  St.,  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.  Before  attempting  to  write  any  of  the  letters  called 
^  ^or  by  the  facts  of  this  record,  the  student  should  read  the 
entire  narrative  as  a  whole.    For,  as  no  business  proceed- 

xa.  ing  can  be  fully  understood,  except  in  connection  with 
previous  related  transactions,  so  a  single  letter  is  often 
but  a  short  chapter  in  a  continued  story.  Isolated  letters 
can  not,  therefore,  be  well  written,  unless  we  understand, 
at  least  to  some  slight  degree,  the  kind  of  transaction  usu- 
ally involveid  under  given  curcumstances,  together  with  the 

lb.  general  policy  of  a  proprietor  or  manager  in  regard  to  his 
business. 

Jan.  2,  1905 

The  general  mercantile  business  of  Baker  &  Edwards 

a.  has  this  day  been  purchased  by  me.  I  undertake  to  col- 
lect all  outstanding  accounts,  and  I  agree  to  assume  all 
liabilities  of  the  old  firm.  On  taking  an  inventory  and 
preparing  for  Bradstreet  a  financial  statement,  I  find  my 
assets  and  assumed  liabilities  to  be  as  follows : 

3.      Cash  in  The  Commonwealth  Bank,   %  8000.00 

H.  B.  Josq>fa's  30-day  note,  dated  Dec.  8,  1904,  indorsed 

by  A.  L.  Burleigh,  135  Spruce  St.,  New  York,     .       .  1200.00 

yt.      Book  accounts  considered  good,  per  "  Schedule  A,""        .  7500.00 

Book  accounts  considered  doubt^l,  per  "  Schedule  B,"  .  3300.OQ 
Stock  of  goods  on  hand— dry  goods,  shoes,  fomitare, 

china  ware,  drugs,  and  dgars,  ^  85,000.00 

Horses,  Delivery  Autos,  and  other  equipment,        .      .  6500.00 

Fifty  Shares  Erie  ist  Preferred  Stock  at  74,    .      .       .  3700.00 

Total  Assets,  $115,100.00 


\ 


THE  NARRATIVE  123 

Bills  Payable  — 

Three  months'  note  in  &¥or  of  £.  G.  Hildreth,  dated 

Oct.  15,  1904,  with  interest  at  5%  per  annum,  .      .  %  1000.00 

Book  accounts  payable,  falling  due  in  January,  1905,       .  9700.00 

Mortgage  Payable — 

A  chattel  mortgage  given  by  Baker  &  Edwards  as  security 
for  the  payment  of  $19,000.00  with  interest  at  6%,  dated 

July  1, 1904,   19,000.00 

Interest  accrued  on  the  above  mor^;age,  6  months  at  6%  .  570.00 

Total  Liabilities,   $30,270.00 

3 

I  have  advertised  in  the  Syracuse  "  Herald  "  for  experi-  4. 
enced  saleswomen,  a  credit  man,  and  an  assistant  book-  4a. 
keeper. 

I  have  ordered  of  H.  B.  Claflin  &  Co.,  331  Broadway,  5. 
New  York,  1000  yd.  Linoleum  at  45^ ;  500  yd.  Moquette 
at  $\.^o. 

Jan.  4 

By  means  of  a  circular  letter  I  begin  advertising  the  6. 
new  business.  In  it  is  a  brief  outline  of  the  policy  of  the 
"  Field  Store,"  together  with  an  announcement  of  an  open- 
ing sale  to  begin  Saturday  next.  Full  particulars  of  the 
sale  will  be  published  in  the  morning  papers  Friday  and 
Saturday,  which  I  have  asked  the  public  to  consult. 

I  have  ordered  by  letter  of  Lord  &  Taylor,  Broadway  7* 
and  1 8th  St.,  New  York,  300  yd.  Ingrain  at  55^;  200  yd.  7a. 
Wilton  at  j>i.30;  265  yd.  oilcloth  at  30^. 

In  a  letter  to  H.  E.  Smith  &  Co.,  shoe  manufacturers,  a. 
Brockton,  Mass.,  I  inform  them  that  I  have  succeeded 
Baker  &  Edwards  in  business,  and  ask  for  a  running  ac- 
count with  them  on  their  usual  terms.    I  give  Bradstreet*s 
agency  and  The  Commonwealth  Bank  as  references. 

Jan,  5 

In  response  to  my  advertisement  for  a  bookkeeper  and 

a  credit  man,  I  have  received  many  letters.  I  have  written  9. 
John  Buchanan,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  who  is  an  applicant  for  the 


124  CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 

^  position  of  credit  man,  and  to  A.  W.  Ellis,  at  present 
with  Slater  Bros,  of  this  city,  who  is  the  most  promistng 
candidate  for  the  position  of  bookkeeper  and  office  assist- 
ant I  have  asked  both  of  them  to  call  at  my  office  as 
soon  as  convenient 

10.  I  have  remitted  Hedley  &  Farmer,  St  James  Building, 
Detroit,  Mich.,  my  check  for  their  Dec.  6  invoice  of  trunks, 
bags,  and  suit  cases,  amounting  to  ^342.00,  less  2^  dis- 
count for  payment  in  30  days. 

11.  The  following  order  I  have  sent  to  the  Hixon  Shoe  Co., 
175  Congress  St,  Boston,  Mass.,  with  a  request  to  ship 
promptly,  via  New  York  Central  raih-oad :  16  doz.  pairs 
Men's  Imitation  Alii.  #102,  at  40^;  12  doz.  pairs  Men's 
Velour  #34,  at  40^ ;  6  doz.  pairs  Men's  Black  Imitation 
AlU.  #103,  at  60^;  5  doz.  pairs  Men's  Black  Vici  #76,  at 

iia.  80^.  I  inclosed  my  certified  check  for  the  amount  of  the 
order. 

12.  I  have  addressed  a  letter  to  Moloney  Bros.  Co.,  546 
Genesee  St,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  making  inquiry  concerning 
their  lines  of  children's  shoes,  and  suggesting  that  it  might 
be  to  our  mutual  advantage  if  they  woukl  send  their  rep- 
resentative with  samples. 

Jan.  6 

13.  H.  B.  Joseph,  86  Worth  St.,  New  York,  has  written  me 
asking  for  an  extension  of  time  in  which  to  meet  his  note, 
which  falls  due  to-morrow.  Mr.  Joseph  gives  as  a  reason 
for  his  request  the  inability  of  several  of  his  customers  to 
meet  their  obligations  at  maturity.  A  sudden  slump  in 
the  steel  market,  he  says,  has  naade  sales  difficult  and  col- 

13a.  lectk>ns  very  slow.  I  have  telegraphed  A.  L.  Burleigh,  the 
indorser  of  the  Joseph  note,  asking  him  to  advise  me  at 
once  whether  he  is  willing  to  grant  the  eitension  and 
waive  protest  and  notice. 

14.  I  am  just  in  receipt  of  a  letter  from  the  Syracuse  "  Post- 
Standard,"  soliciting  my  advertising  patronage,  and  offer- 
ing special  rates  for  a  yearly  contract    They  urge  the 


THE  NARRATIVE 


125 


large  and  growing  circulation  of  their  paper  among  a  supe- 
rior class  of  readers  as  a  reason  why  their  publication  is 
the  best  advertising  medium  in  the  city. 

I  reply  to  the  Post-Standard's  letter,  and  ask  them  15. 
to  give  me  rates  for  a  half  page  daily  on  a  yearly  contract. 
I  expect  to  use  the  " Post-Standard"  and  the  "  Herald  "  as 
advertising  mediums,  provided  I  can  get  desirable  space 
on  reasonable  terms.  I  also  address  a  letter  to  the  Her-  15a. 
aid,"  asking  their  advertising  manager  to  call  on  me  aa 
soon  as  convenient,  with  information  concerning  their  sub- 
scription list,  available  space,  rates,  etc. 

Jan.  7 

This  morning  Mr.  Burleigh  telegraphed  me,  suggesting  16. 
that  an  effort  be  made  to  collect  one  half  of  the  amount 
due  on  the  Joseph  note,  and  that  an  extension  of  thirty 
days  be  given  in  which  to  pay  the  balance.  In  accordance 
with  this  advice  I  wire  Mr.  Joseph  at  once  that  his  note  i6a. 
will  not  be  protested,  and  that  I  have  sent  by  letter  the  i6h. 
full  particulars. 

Otis  V.  French,  a  customer  of  ours,  writes  that  he  is  17. 
unable  to  meet  his  obligations.    He  incloses  a  statement 
of  his  affairs  in  connection  with  an  offer  to  settle  with  all 
of  his  creditors  at  sixty  cents  on  the  dollar. 

I  receive  the  following  letter  (see  page  137,  Ex.  18): 

Detroit,  Mich.,  Jan.  6,  1905. 

Mr.  Nelson  Field,  ^ 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Sir:  We  are  in  receipt  of  jcm  letter  of  the  5tK 
inst.  and  note  that  you  have  deducted  2%  from  our  invoice  of  18. 
Dec.  6 ;  your  remittance  is  therefore  $6.84  short.    Our  terms 
are  strictly  30  days,  or  1%  for  cash  in  10  days.    Kindly  send  18a. 
us  this  amount  to  balance  your  account  on  our  books.  Baker 
&  £dward8  will  tell  you  that  these  terms  were  fixed  by  us  on 
Jan.  1, 1904,  and  we  can  not  now  demte  from  them. 

Trusting  that  we  may  be  favored  with  your  remittance  for 
the  amount  yet  due;  we  remain. 

Yours  truly, 
Hedley  & 


126 


CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 


19-  I  have  bought  of  FairchUd  &  Campbell,  Grand  Rapids, 
Mich.,  terms  2^  ten  days,  net  thirty  days,  24  #67  Sofas  at 
1127.50;  24  #46  Upright  Beds  at  $31.00;  36  French  Mat- 
tresses at  $18.00;  24  #14  Dining  Tables  at  j^ij.oo. 

ao.  To  A.  B.  Chase,  42  Greenbush  St,  Cortland,  N.  Y.,  I 
have  addressed  a  letter  offering  him  the  management  of 
my  mail  order  department  at  a  salary  of  j(i6.oo  per  week. 
I  explain  to  Mr.  Chase  that  this  department  is  an  experi- 
ment, although  I  believe  it  will  grow  in  importance  with 
the  growth  of  the  business,  and  that  as  a  result  it  o£Fers 
an  opportunity  to  a  young  man  of  ability  and  energy. 

Jan.  9 

After  consulting  Mr.  Edwards,  I  have  decided  to  pre- 
pare  two  form  letters  to  be  sent  to  all  old  customers 
who  have  unsettled  accounts  with  us.  A  request  for 
prompt  payment  was  sent  by  Baker  &  £dwards  on  the 
2d  of  January  with  a  notice  of  the  dissolution  of  their 
partnership.  Many  complied  with  this  request  and  paid 
in  full  Of  those  remaming  I  have  revised  the  two 
lists  which  Mr.  Edwards  prepared  for  me,  designated 

21.  "Schedule  A"  and  "Schedule  B."  Schedule  A  now 
comprises  those  who  have  been  good  customers  and  have 
usually  paid  promptly  upon  receipt  of  their  monthly  state- 
ments.  The  good  will  and  patronage  of  these  I  wish,  of 
course,  to  retain.  In  my  letter  to  them,  therefore,  I  have 
been  careful  to  give  no  offense;  but  I  have,  however, 
made  a  firm  demand  for  immediate  payment.  Schedule 
B  comprises  all  those  who  are  slow  pay  and  whose  trade  is 
not  desurable.  The  primary  object  of  the  letter  I  am  about 
to  mail  to  this  class  is  the  collection  of  the  amount  due. 

From  information  furnished  by  Mr.  Edwards  I  have 
made  out  a  third  list  of  other  former  customers  to  whom 
the  writing  of  further  letters  requestmg  payment  would  be 

22.  futile.    The  claims  against  them,  amounting  to  ^1478.53, 
I  have  sent  to  A.  L.  Deming,  attorney,  Kirk  Buildmg, 

22fc   with  instructions  to  make  a  demand  for  immediate  pay- 


THE  NARRATIVE  127 

ment  in  each  case,  and,  if  necessary,  bring  suits  against 
those  who  still  neglect  to  settle. 

Jait^.  10 

The  mornmg  papers  note  an  increased  activity  in  Erie 
First  Preferred  stock.    I  wire  Engel  &  Engel,  brokers,  34  23. 
Broad  St.,  New  York,- to  sell  50  shares  for  me  if,  and  as 
soon  as,  the  stock  reaches  78.    I  write  them  more  fully,  23a. 
asking  for  their  advice  in  respect  to  the  future  market  for 
Erie  First  Preferred. 

I  remit  by  check  to  the  Bridgeport  Wood  Finishing  Co.,  24. 
55  Fulton  St,  New  York,  the  amount  of  then-  invoice  of 
the  5th  instant,  $11.00,  after  deducting  60^  express  charge 
on  the  goods  covered  by  this  invoice. 

I  order  of  the  Waterman  Furniture  Co.,  Grand  Rapids,  25. 
Mich.,  10  doz.  #346  Kitchen  Chairs;  2  doz.  #42  Parlor 
Suits;  2  doz.  #4  Student  Rockers;  25  #12  ALX  Dining  25a. 
Chairs.    This  order  I  accompany  with  a  letter,  asking  for 
more  hberal  terms  and  better  discounts, 

I  have  written  George  E.  Cheney,  124  Exchange  St.,  26. 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  an  acquaintance  of  many  years,  offering 
to  give  him  an  opportunity  to  enter  partnership  with  me. 
An  additional  investment  of  1^50,000.00  would  greatly 
increase  our  stock  and  the  faciUty  with  which  it  could  be 
handled.  The  present  condition  of  trade  and  a  rapidly 
growing  market  justify  the  behef  that,  with  careful  adver- 
tising  and  proper  management,  our  sales  might  be  doubled 
in  a  short  time.  Another  man,  who  has  capital  to  invest 
and  who  possesses  abiUty  and  experience,  is  almost  indis- 
pensable to  the  full  development  of  future  business.  I 
know  Mr.  Cheney  to  be  such  a  man,  and  I  have  reason 
to  believe  that  he  will  regard  my  proposition  with  favor. 

I  receive  a  letter  from  H.  B.  Joseph,  inclosing  a  cashier's  27. 
check  for  $600.00,  and  his  thirty-day  note  for  |;6oo.oo,  dated 
Jan.  7,  1905,  with  interest  at  5^  per  annum.   He  expresses 
the  belief  that  he  will  be  able  to  take  up  the  new  note 
before  it  falls  due.   This  is  in  reply  to  my  letter  and  tele- 


128  CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 


27».   gram  of  the  7th  instant    I  acknowledge  bis  remittance, 

and  return  the  old  note  properly  cancelled. 

Jan.  II 

After  investigating  the  matter  of  French's  insolvency, 
aS.     I  have  decided  to  accept  his  proposition,  and  I  write  him 
to  that  effect 

7^  Replying  to  my  letter  of  the  7th  instant,  A.  B.  Chase 
writes  that  he  is  under  contract  to  remain  in  his  present 
position  six  months  longer  and  therefiM'e  can  not  consider 
my  offer.  He  asks  me  to  expect  a  call  from  Mr.  Aldea 
Steffens,  Lyons,  N.  Y.,  whom  he  recommends  very  highly 
for  the  position. 

30.  In  response  to  my  letter  of  the  4th  instant,  H.  E.  Smith 
3ot.    &  Co.  oflFer  me  a  6o^ay  credit    They  have  telegraphed 

their  agent,  Mr.  Gary  El  wood,  at  Little  Falls,  N.  Y.,  direct- 
mg  him  to  call  oH  me  at  once  with  samples. 

31.  Moloney  Bros.  Co.,  under  the  date  of  January  7,  have 
replied  to  my  letter  of  the  5th  instant  They  state  at  some 
length  their  facilities  and  experience  in  the  manufacture 
of  children's  shoes  as  a  reason  why  they  can  supply  the 
trade  with  the  best  product  at  the  lowest  prices.  They 
have  shipped  me  a  case  of  samples  by  American  Express 
and  have  mailed  me  their  catalogue. 

The  following  letter  (see  page  138,  Ex.  32)  has  been 
referred  to  me  for  attention  and  reply: 

37  Vesey  St.,  New  York, 

Jan.  8.  IQOC. 

Messrs.  Baker  &  Edwards, 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Gentlemen: 

Your  fiivor  of  the  31st  ultimo  was  received  in  due  time, 
3a.  inclosing  check  in  settlement  of  account  and  replying  to  your 

inquiry  concerning  your  complaint  of  the  24th  ultimo,  relative 
to  the  price  chained  for  the  ten  loo's  half-grain  Morphine 
Tablets,  and  we  now  understand  what  has  prompted  the  com- 
plaint ;  but  we  beg  to  explain  that  the  price  of  $4.05  per  thou- 
sand as  quoted  by  Mr.  Rogers  to  the  Matron  of  the  Syracuse 


* 


% 

THE  NARRATIVE 


129 


Hospital  was  based  on  supplying  the  Tablets  m  bulk  and  not 
in  bottles  of  100,  or  otherwise  his  quotation  would  have  been 
per  hundred  mstead  of  per  thousand.  Your  ofdcr  was  for 
Tablets  in  bottles  of  100,  and  our  invoice  was  rendered  at  the 
best  net  price  for  the  Tablets  in  that  size  of  package.  If  you 
will  send  your  order  in  bulk  lots  of  1000  instead  of  in  bottks 
of  100,  we  will  be  very  glad  to  make  the  former  price  of  $3.45 
net  apply,  but  the  keen  competition  that  exists  on  Morphine 
Tablets  of  all  kinds  do  not  embrase  as  small  packages  as 
botdes  of  100. 

Thanking  you  for  again  writing  us,  we  aie, 

YouiB  very  truly, 

The  American  Chemical  Co., 
by  A.  D.  Moore. 

Mr.  Edwards  explains  that  the  foregoing  letter  is  in 
reply  to  a  complaint  made  by  him  to  The  American  Chemi- 
cal Co.  on  the  ground  that  they  were  supplying  the  Syra- 
cuse  Hospital  with  half-grain  Morphine  Tablets  at  1^4.05 
per  thousand,  whiljC  at  the  same  time  they  were  l»lling  t^m 
to  Baker  &  Edwards  at  $4.50.  This  letter  explains  the  33. 
matter,  and  I  am  writing  The  American  Chemical  Company 
to  that  effect 

The  two  car  loads  of  oats  ordered  by  Baker  &  Edwards 
of  Schmitt  Bros.  &  Co.,  17  Canal  St,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  on 
Dec.  24  last,  are  reported  shipped.  The  consignors,  hav- 
ing received  notice  of  the  Baker  &  Edwards's  dissolutkm 
<rf  partnership,  have  sent  their  bill  of  lading  through  the 
bank  with  sight  draft  attached  for  the  amount  of  the  in* 
voice,  1925.0a  I  decline  to  pay  this  draft  and  ask  Schmitt 
Bros,  to  recall  it.  In  my  letter  to  them  I  propose  to  pay  34. 
for  this  shipment  by  check  when  it  arrives.  I  inclose  a 
statement  of  my  affairs,  and  give  references.  Mr.  Edwards 
has  also  written  Schmitt  Bros,  respecting  my  standing  and 
responsibility. 

Jan.  12 

Replying  to  my  communication  of  the  loth  instant,  Engel  35. 
&  Engel  advise  me  not  to  sell  Erie  Preferred  at  present 

COM.  CORRESPONDENCE  —  9 


130  CORRh^FONDENCE  FOR  FRACTICE 

They  think  a  dividend  on  this  stock  will  soon  be  declared, 
35^   and  that  there  is  every  prospect  of  its  reaching  85  before 
the  end  of  the  month.   Acting  upon  this  advice,  I  wu-e 
them  to  disregard  my  order  to  sell  at  78. 
36.       I  remit  a  United  States  Express  money  order  for  #5.00 
to  the  "Boot  &  Shoe  Recorder,"  36  Congress  St,  Boston, 
36a.    Mass.,  for  one  year's  subscription.    I  ask  the  publish- 
ers to  let  my  subscription  begin  with  the  December 
number. 

Andrew  Borrows,  of  234  East  Genesee  St,  on  Saturday 
last  ordered  shoes  and  millinery  to  the  amount  of  $36.50 
delivered  on  approval,  with  the  distinct  understanding 
(such  as  I  have  with  all  customers  who  have  no  account) 

37-  that  the  goods  must  be  promptly  paid  for,  or  returned 
to  the  store  within  a  reasonable  time.    I  write  Mr. 

37m.  Borrows,  calling  his  attention  to  our  invariable  rule  in 
such  cases,  and  ask  him  either  to  return  the  goods  at 
once  or  to  send  me  without  delay  a  remittance  for  the 
amount  due. 

Elmer  O.  Cassidy,  who  had  been  with  Baker  &  Edwards 

as  head  bookkeeper  for  five  years,  has  tendered  his  resig- 
nation,  to  take  effect  as  soon  as  his  pbce  can  be  filled. 

38.  He  says  in  his  letter  of  resignation  that  close  indoor  life- is 
uncongenial,  and  that  he  intends  to  seek  other  employment 
Mr.  Cassidy  was  very  highly  recommended  to  me  by  Baker 
&  Edwards,  and  I  do  not  Uke  to  lose  so  valuable  a  man. 
Accordingly  I  ask  him  to  take  a  month's  vacation  and 
permit  me  to  "hold  the  matter  of  his  resignation  in  abey- 
ance until  he  returns.  He  expects  to  visit  Richmond, 
Va.,  during  his  absence,  and  I  give  him  a  letter  of  introduc- 

38a.  tion  to  Mr.  Clifford  B.  Rosa,  an  old  acquaintance  of 
resUing  in  that  dty.  ^ 

Jan.  13 

I  have  just  received  the  following  letter  (see  p.  138, 
Ex.  39)  from  the  Bridgeport  Wood  Finishing  Co.  in  reply 
lo  my  communicatfen  of  the  loih  instant 


THE  NARRATIVE 


55  Fulton  St., 

New  York,  1-12-05. 

Mr.  Nelson  Field, 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Sir: 

We  are  m  receipt  of  your  check  for  $10.40,  which  we  have 
passed  to  your  credit  on  account.  We  notice  you  deduct  60^ 
expressage.  Explain  to  us  why  we  should  stand  the  expres- 
sage.  Baker  &  Edwards,  in  ordering  this  shipment^  distinctly 
stated  to  send  by  U.  S.  Express,  and  we  can  not  affi>fd  to  pay 
oqmssage  on  our  goods. 

Yours  very  truly, 

The  Bridgeport  Wood  Finishing  Co, 
by  Charles  £.  Baldwin. 


Replying  to  my  communication  of  the  loth  instant,  Mr. 

Cheney  says  that  he  is  considering  my  proposition  care- 
fully, and  thinks  that  he  will  ultimately  accept  it  He  has 
recently  received  another  business  proposition  which  he 
can  not,  without  due  deliberation,  refuse.  Withm  a  week, 
however,  he  believes  he  will  be  able  to  reach  a  decision, 
of  which  he  promises  to  inform  me  at  the  earliest  moment 

Over  a  year  ago  Baker  &  Edwards  made  an  agreement 
with  Little  &  Co.,  Lynn,  Mass.,  whereby  they  secured  the 
exclusive  sale  of  the  Sorosis  shoe.  I  have  learned  to^lay 
that  Slater  Bros,  of  this  city  are  handling  this  shoe,  and  I 
write  Little  &  Co.  for  an  explanation.  I  make  as  clear  as 
possible  the  fact  that  I  have  succeeded  to  all  rights  and 
privileges  guaranteed  in  trade  contracts  made  by  Baker 
&  Edwards,  and  that  I  must,  therefore,  have  the  exclusive 
sale  of  the  Sorosis  shoe  if  I  am  to  handle  it  at  all. 

Replying  to  my  letter  of  the  iith  instant,  Otis  V. 
French  has  remitted  Richard  Spaulding's  certified  check 
for  ^(240.00  in  full  payment  of  his  indebtedness.  The 
Spaulding  check  is  made  payable  to  French  and  is  by 
him  indorsed  to  me.  I  send  him  a  receipt  in  full  for  his 
account 

Twenty-five  cases  of  rubber  footwear,  ordered  on  Dec. 
15  by  Baker  &  Edwards  from  the.  Boston  Rubber  Com- 


132  CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 

pany,  149  Lexington  St.,  Boston,  Mass.,  for  deUvery  on 
Jan.  3,  have  not  been  received.  The  order  was  acknowl- 
edged Dec.  18,  and  Mr.  Edwards  is  of  the  opinion  that 
the  railroad  company  must  be  responsible  for  the  frequent 
delays  in  Boston  shipments.    I  have  written  letters  of  in- 

43.  quiry  to  the  Boston  Rubber  Company,  as  well  as  to  Charles 
43a.   W.  Baldwm,  freight  agent  of  the  New  York  Central  R.  R. 

Syracuse,  N.  Y.  ' 

Jan,  14 

44.  I  order  of  Moloney  Bros.  Co.,  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  from 
samples  which  they  have  sent,  the  foUowing  children's 
and  misses^  shoes:  5  doz.  Kid  Lace  #  732,  sizes  11/2; 
5  doz.  Kid  Lace  #539,  sizes  2/5;  10  doz.  Kid  Lace 
#827,  sizes  2/5;  4  doz.  Kid  Lace  #791,  sizes  5/8.  I 
direct  them  to  ship  #732  by  American  Express  and  the 

44a.    balance  of  the  order  by  New  York  Central  freight 

45.  Mr.  Aiden  Steffens  has  presented  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  Mr.  A.  B.  Chase.    I  ask  Mr.  Steffens,  who  is  an  appU- 

45a.  cant  for  the  position  previously  offered  to  Mr.  Chase  to 
outlme  in  a  letter  of  application  the  policy  which  he  would 
pursue  as  manager  of  my  mail^>rder  department,  in  connec- 
tion  with  a  statement  of  his  experience  a;id  references.  I 
have  also  requested  him  to  call  again  in  about  a  week. 

46.  Mr.  H.  B.  Joseph  wishes  to  take  up  his  note  of  the  7th 
instant  and  has  remitted  his  certified  check  for  ^600  58 

46a.  I  cancel  the  note  and  return  it  to  him  with  my  thanks'fo^ 
his  remittance.. 

Jan.  16 

Less  than  60%  of  Baker  &  Edwards's  old  customers  to 
whom  I  wrote  on  the  9th  instant,  have  made  remittances 
to  settle  accounts.  Several  letters  of  complaint  and  in- 
quuy  have  been  received : 

47.  E.  L.  Gibson,  18  Gifford  St.,  in  his  letter  of  the  13th, 
asks  for  a  bill  of  particukrs.  He  says  that  his  account 
seems  to  him  too  large  and  asks  us  to  verify  it  by  a  de- 

47a.   tailed  statement    This  I  have  sent 


THE  NARRATIVE 


Ml 


Eugene  P.  Bryant,  136  Garfiekl  Ave.,  in  his  letter  of  48. 

the  1 2th,  claims  that  he  has  not  received  full  credit  for 
goods  returned ;  that  he  has  called  attentk>n  to  the  arror ; 
that  he  does  not  intend  to  pay  the  bill  until  it  is  rectified. 
As  the  alleged  mistake  amounts  to  only  ^(3.50  in  a  bill  of 
$36.00,  I  have  written  Mr.  Bryant  that  our  records  do  not  48a. 
show  any  returned  purchase,  and  that  the  date  of  the  sup- 
posed return  is  now  so  remote  as  to  make  it  quite  impos- 
sible to  verify  his  claim.  Notwithstanding,  I  assure  him 
that  if  his  bill  is  settled  immediately,  I  shall  be  glad  to 
credit  him  with  the  amount  of  the  alleged  error. 

Mrs.  John  Peckham,  178  James  St.,  whose  bill  amounts  49. 
to  $386.75,  in  her  letter  of  the  14th,  asks  for  an  extension 
of  time  in  which  to  make  payment  Her  reason  for  this 
request  is  the  recent  death  of  a  son  zxA  tiie  protracted 
illness  of  her  husband.  It  is  rumored  that  John  Peckham 
is  in  financial  difficulties,  and  I  have  asked  the  Commercial 
Credit  Association  of  this  city  to  furnish  me  with  a  special 
report  upon  his  standing  at  once. 

I  am  preparing  a  final  letter  to  all  "  Schedule  B"  debtors.  5a 
This  I  intend  to  make  a  peremptory  demand  for  payment 
Unless  all  accounts  m  this  schedule  are  settled  by  Monday, 
the  23d,  I  shall  place  them  in  the  hands  of  my  attorney 
for  collection.  On  the  23d  I  shall  also  prepare  a  second 
letter  to  all  "Schedule  A"  debtors  who  have  not  yet  made 
a  settlement  50^. 

My  note  of  Oct.  15  for  $1000.00  with  interest  falls  due 
to-day.    In  payment  I  have  remitted  to  E.  G.  Hildreth,  51. 
326  West  Genesee  St,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  my  check  for 
$1012.50,  which  covers  the  principal  and  interest  accrued.  51a. 
I  ask  him  Xx^  cancel  the  note  and  return  it  to  me. 

I  have  ordered  of  the  Stetson  Mills,  Paterson,  N.  J.,  the  5s. 
following:  Silk  Velvet,  Quality  1654;  3  pieces  Brown, 
#78;  5  pieces  Blue,  #81;  2  pieces  Gold,  #24.  This 
order  is  given  upon  the  condition  that  the  quality  shall  be 
the  same  as  that  of  the  samples  left  by  the  Stetson  Mills 
agent,  Mr.  Roos,  who  called  on  me  yesterday.    I  propose 


134  CORRESPONDmCE  FOR  PRACTICE 

to  pay  for  these  goods  upon  the  receipt  of  the  shipment, 
and  I  expect  a  discount  of  2  56  for  cash. 
In  fulfillment  of  the  promise  expressed  in  his  letter 

53.  of  the  13th  instant,  Mr.  Cheney  writes  that,  if  terms  can 
be  agreed  upon,  he  has  decided  to  accept  my  proposition 

53".  to  enter  a  partnership  with  me  He  asks  me  to  write 
him  somewhat  fully  the  details  of  my  plan.  He  says 
further  that  he  will  very  soon  visit  Syracuse  for  the 
purpose  of  looking  over  the  situation  and  discussing  the 
proposal.  * 

54.  I  have  remitted  the  Mishawaka  Woolen  Mfg.  Co  Mish- 
awaka,  Ind.,  my  check  for  $955.00  less  the  2%  rebate, 
amounting  to  *4.oo,  which  they  allow  on  knit  goods.  This 
remittance  is  for  their  invoice  of  December  20  to  Baker 
&  Edwards. 

Jan.  \j 

55.  Judson  Bridenbecker,  18  Gifford  St.,  has  remitted  his 
salary  check  for  $25.00  to  apply  on  account    This  check 
IS  drawn  by  the  Wells .  Mfg.  Co.  to  the  order  of  Mr 
Bndenbecker,  but  the  latter  has  neglected  to  indorse  it 

SS«.   to  me.    I  have  called  his  attention  to  the  omission  and 
5Sb.  returned  the  check  in  a  reply  asking  him  to  rectify  the 
*rror. 

56.  Replying  to  my  letter  of  the  13th  instant,  the  Boston 
Rubber  Co.  write  that  my  shipment  of  twenty-five  cases 
of  rubber  goods  went  forward  on  December  19^  and  that 
the  cause  of  delay  must  Ue  with  the  railroad  company 

56^  They  express  their  regret  and  inclose  a  copy  of  a  ^ 
sharp  letter  which  they  have  written  to  the  Boston  freight 
agent  of  the  Boston  &  Albany  R.  R. 

57.  Mr.  Baldwin,  the  Syracuse  agent,  has  replied  to  my 
letter  of  the  13th,  stating  that  the  Boston  Rubber  shipment 
will  be  located  very  shortly  and  rushpd  forward  with  the 
utmost  dispatch. 

_  I  have  just  received  the  following  letter  (see  page 


THE  NARRATIVE 


I3S 


303  Pearl  St.  New  Yoiic 
Jan.  16.  1905. 

'  Mr.  Nelson  Field. 

Syracuse.  N.  Y. 
GeiitleiiittL 

Please  find  inclosed  invoice  for  goods  send  to  you  fix>m  5S. 
this  office  byeipvess?  we  trust  that  same  will  be  satisfactory 
to  you. 

Thanking  you  for  your  past  fcivors,  and  trust  that  you  will 
fiivor  us  with  a  continuance  of  your  vahied  patronage^ 
We  beg  to  remain  yours  truly. 

Martinez.  Cogar.  Co. 

by  L.  £. 

P.S.  Our  Representative^  Mr.  S.  Stemblad.  send  us  this 
order  in. 


Jan.  18 

I  have  ordered  of  H.  Collier  &  Son,  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  59. 
2  bbls.  Wood  Alcohol,  Extra  Refined,  95^,  at  66#  per 
gallon;  3  bbls.  Wood  Alcohol,  Special  Refined,  97^,  at 
65^  per  gallon;  i  bbL  Columbian  Spirit  at  |(  1.25  per 
gallon,  less  \0%  I  understand  that  these  prices  are 
F.  O.  B.  Syracuse,  and  that  their  terms  are  30  days,  or  a 
discount  of  2^6  if  paid  in  ten  days.  I  make  a  statement 
to  that  effect. 

The  5  doz.  pairs  Children's  Kid  Lace  #732  ordered  on 

the  14th  instant  of  Moloney  Bros.  Co.  have  just  been  de- 
livered by  the  American  Express  Co.  This  shipment  is  so  6a 
inferior  to  the  sample  from  which  I  ordered,  that  I  have 
written  to  Moloney  Bros.  Co.  that  I  can  not  accept  it  In 
general  style  and  finish,  and  especially  in  the  quality  of  the 
uppers,  these  shoes  do  not  compare  with  other  lines  at 
111.5a  I  tell  them  that  unless  the  rest  of  the  shipment 
ordered  on  the  14th  instant  is  much  better  than  the  part  I 
have  received,  I  shall  not  be  able  to  make  any  use  of  it 
whatever.  I  further  state  that  the  5  doz.  pairs  #732  now  60a. 
on  hand  are  held  subject  to  their  order. 

Replying  to  my  letter  (rf  the  13th  instant.  Little  &  Co.  61. 
say  that  they  are  unable  to  account  for  my  statement  that 


136 


CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 


Slater  Bros,  are  selling  the  Sorosis  shoe.  They  say  that  the 
shoes  were  not  purchased  from  them,  and  they  assure  me  that 
they  recognize  my  right  to  the  exclusive  sale  and  will  protect  me 
at  any  cost  It  is  suggested  by  them  that  possibly  Slater  Bros 
may  have  purchased  somewhere  a  bankrupt  stock  in  which 
there  were  a  few  pairs  of  Sorosis  shoes.  They  have  instituted 
an  investigation  and  promise  to  acquaint  me  hter  with  aU  the 
facts  of  the  case. 

EXERUSES  BASED  UPOH  THE  PRECEDING  NARRATIVE 

The  numbers  of  the  following  exercises  correspond  to  the 
numbers  which  appear  in  the  margin  of  the  preceding  Narra- 
tive.   Each  number  identifies  a  letter  or  telegram  expressly 
indicated  or  implied  which  the  student  is  required  to  write.  As 
has  been  stated,  it  is  absolutely  imperative  that,  at  the  outset, 
the  Narrative  be  carefully  studied  as  a  whole  in  order  that  the 
nature  of  the  business  involved  and  pohcy  maintained  may  be 
thoroughly  understood.    Here  and  there  specific  references 
have  been  made  in  the  following  exercises  to  previous  chapters 
that  deal  with  the  various  problems  incident  to  the  different 
kinds  of  correspondence  called  for  by  Field's  business.  Chap- 
ter III,  which  deals  with  the  Wger  phases  of  correspondence^ 
together  with  the  special  chapters  on  letters  ordermg  goods, 
requesting  payment,  etc.,  should  constantly  be  referred  to  for 
general  guidance  in  the  composition  of  these  letters  After 
having  read  the  Narrative  as  a  whole,  the  student  should  re-read 
the  paragraph  indicated  by  the  numeral  of  each  exercise  before 
attempting  to  write  any  of  the  letters  required.    Thus,  before 
writing  the  letters  called  for  in  exercise  13,  13a,  study  para- 
graph 13  of  the  Narrative.     The  student  should  in  all  cases 
employ  phrases  of  his  own  construction  and  carefully  avoid  usinit 
the  language  of  th€  book.  ^ 

to  ill  ttttl^s.^^^^    ^^^"^  to  Nelson  Field  ^  a  pmposldoo 

i^'^^ll^^^^^  ^  P^^^^^  -i^h  reference  to 

tbe  mamg  power  of  the  busmess,  value  of  stock  and  equipment,  terais,  etc 


EXERCISES 

I  b.  Reply  of  Baker  &  Edwards  complying  with  Field's  lequest  for  a  more 
detailed  statement.  This  reply  should  suggest  a  meeting  for  further  discussion. 

2.  ForiA  letter  from  Baker  &  Edwards  announcing  the  dissolution  of  part- 
nership and  requesting  a  settlement  of  all  accounts.  This  letter  is  to  be  sent 
to  all  customers  having  accounts  unsettled. 

3.  Field's  letter  to  Bradstreet,  inclosing  business  and  fiimnfjal  slalonent 
3a.  Form  letter  from  Fieki  to  aU  creditors,  askmg  for  a  statement  ctf 

thdr  accounts  to  date  for  comparison  mth  Baker  &  Edwards's  books. 

4.  Letter  of  application  for  the  position  of  credit  man. 

4a.  Letter  of  application  for  the  position  of  assistant  bookkeeper, 

5.  Letter  ordering  goods. 

5a.  Acknowledgment  of  the  forgoing  <Mder. 

6.  Circular  letter.  Refer  to  discussion  of  this  subject,  page  98. 

7.  Letter  ordering  goods. 

7a.  Acknowledgment  of  the  foregoing  order. 

8.  Letter  asking  for  a  term  of  credit. 

9.  Letter  to  John  Buchanan. 
9a.  Letter  to  A.  W.  Ellis. 

10.  Remittance.   Refer  to  the  discussion    this  subject,  pages  61  to  70. 

1 1 .  Order  inclosing  remittance. 

1 1  a.  Courteous  acknowledgment  soliciting  further  orders. 

12.  Letter  of  inquiry. 

13.  Joseph's  letter  asking  for  an  extmion  ol  time  in  whidi  to  meet  his 
note. 

13a.  Telegram  to  A.  L.  Burleigh  ;  confine  it  to  ten  words. 

14.  "  Post-Standard's    letter  soliciting  advertising. 

15.  Reply  to  the  foregoing. 

15a.  Letter  opening  negotiations  for  aa  advertising  contract  with  the 
«  Hendd." 

16.  Burleigh^s  telegram,  waiving  protest,  etc.    Limit  it  to  ten  words. 
1 6a.  Ten-word  message  to  Joseph. 

1 6b.  Letter  of  particulars  to  Joseph. 

17.  French's  letter  announcing  his  insolvency. 

18.  This  letter  is  an  example  of  incoherence ;  it  is  also  brusque  and  lack- 
ing in  courtesy.  After  the  student  has  re-read  the  paragraph  on  Coherence. 
page  40,  he  should  rewrite  this  letter.  Note  also  what  is  said  (on  page  25) 
about  closing  phrases  like  the  example  here  given. 

1 8a.  Reply  to  the  foregoing  from  Hedley  &  Fanner.  Indose  I6.84  and 
show  that  the  error  was  due  to  a  rooent  diange  in  the  management  of  the 
business. 

19.  Letter  ordering  goods  of  Fairchild  &  Campbell.    Note  the  conditions. 

20.  Letter  offering  Mr.  Chase  the  management  of  the  mail-oider  depart- 
ment. 

ai.  Before  attempting  to  write  ktten  21  and  ai%  the  student  should  read 


158 


CORRESFQNDEJKE  FOR  PRACTICE 


again  carefully  the  chapter  on  Credits  and  Collectioiis,  page  73 ;  then  write 
the  letter  to  Schedule  A  debtors. 
2ia.  Letter  to  Schedule  B  debton. 

22.  letter  pladng  accoimte  in  the  hai^ 

22a.  Write  Mr.  Deming's  letter  to  debtors,  demanding  immediate  payment. 

23.  Telegram  to  Engel  &  Engel.    Make  it  clear  but  brief. 

23a.  Letter  to  Engel  &  Engel,  confirming  telegram  and  aalfittg  advice. 

24.  Letter  of  remittance  to  Bridgeport  Wood  Fuushing  Co. 

25.  Letter  ordering  goods.   Rder  to  terms  and  discounts. 

25a.  Reply  fiooi  the  Waterman  Fmmlture  Co.,  refusing  request  for  better 
terms.  This  letter  should  be  carefully  and  courteously  worded,  and  it  should 
give  convincing  reasons  for  not  complying  with  Mr.  Y\t\d\  request. 

26.  Letter  to  Mr.  Cheney.   This  proposition,  if  it  be  effective^  must  be 

*  backed  up  with  facts  and  %ures  to  show  the  real  conditiwi  and  PTOSIS 
Mr.  Field's  business.  «i 

27.  Mr.  Joseph's  letter,  inclosing  check  and  new  note.  The  sUtement 
<rf  this  inclosure  should  be  exact  and  coherent. 

27a.  Reply  to  Mr.  Joseph's  letter,  returning  the  old  note. 

28.  Letter  to  French,  accepting  his  propositkm  <rf  settlement. 

29.  Mr.  Chase's  letter. 

30.  H.  E.  Smith  &  Co/s  letter. 

30a.  H.  E.  Smith  &  Co.'s  telegram  to  Mr.  Gary  Elwood.  Make  it  ten 
words. 

^i.  Letter  from  Moloney  Bros.  Co. 

32.  An  eiampie  of  incoherence.  Conect  the  grammar,  spelling,  and  dic- 
tion, and  rewrite  in  proper  Ibrm. 

33.  Reply  to  The  American  Chemical  Co. 

34.  Letter  to  Schmitt  Bros.    This  should  be  courteous  but  foiceail. 
34a.  Mr.  Edwards's  letter  of  recommendation  and  guamnty  to  S^mitt  Bros. 
^.  Reply  from  £ngel  &  £iigeL 
35a.  Tekgnun  to  Engel  &  Engel. 

36.  Letter  inclosing  express  money  order  for  the  "  Boot  &  Shoe  Recorder." 
36a.  Acknowledgment  of  the  foregoing  subscription. 

37.  This  letter  should  be  forceful,  but  courteous  and  respectful 
37a.  Mr.  Borrows's  i^y.   This  should  give  some  good  reason  for  his 

aqpfMuroit  nci^ect 

38.  Mr.  Qttsidy's  letter  of  resignation. 
38a.  Mr.  Field's  letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  Rosa. 

39.  Refer  to  paragraph  on  courtesy,  page  42,  and  rewrite  this  letter. 
39a.  Make  reply  to  this  letter  and  give  some  good  leason  why  you  deducted 

the  60^  express  diaige  from  their  bilL 

40.  Mr.  Cheney^s  reply  to  my  letter  of  the  loth. 
.  41.   Let  th»  letter  to  Little  &  Co.  be  a  clear,  definite  statement  of  your 

position.  Be  careful,  however,  not  to  assume  that  they  have  acted  in  had  Mth. 


EXERCJSES 


139 


Thqr  may  not  be  at  fimh  in  the  least,  and  such  an  hiference,  before  they 
have  had  an  opportunity  to  explain,  would  be  unwise. 

42.  Letter  with  remittance  from  Otis  V.  French. 
42a.  Reply  to  the  foregoing. 

43.  Letter  of  inquiry  to  the  Boston  Rubber  Ca 

43a*  Letter  of  inquuy  to  CImrles  Ww  Baldwhv  freight  agent. 
44-  Letter  ordering  goods.    I>o  not  neglect  the  shipping  directions. 
44a.  Moloney  Bros.  Co.  acknowledge  Mr.  Field's  order,  and  state  that 
the  goods  have  been  shipped  according  to  directions. 

45.  Mr.  Chase's  letter  introducing  Mr.  Sttfens. 

45a-  Mr.  StefensV  letter  of  aq>plication ;  tills  calk  for  unusual  care.  Refer 
afdn  to  the  discussion  of  this  subject,  page  85.  Make  yourself  acquainted 
with  the  requirements  of  such  a  position  before  attempting  to  write  the  letter. 

46.  Mr.  Joseph's  remittance. 

46a.  Acknowledge  Mr.  Joseph's  remittance  and  return  his  nole. 
47*  Write  Mr.  Gibson"^  letter,  asking  for  particulais. 
47a.  Reply  to  Mr.  Gibson  and  send  him  an  itemized  bill. 
48.  Mr.  Bryant's  letter  of  complaint. 
48a.  Mr.  Field's  reply. 

49-  Mrs.  Peckham's  letter,  asking  for  an  extension  of  time  la  whkA  to 

pay  an  account  This  shoukl  be  frank  and  strsl|^tfiMrwaid-- a  request  rather 
than  an  appeal 

50.  This  letter  should  be  brief,  but  it  should  be  prepared  with  great  care. 
There  should  be  no  unnecessary  display  of  authority,  no  bombast,  no  thieats. 
Let  the  letter  itself,  as  well  as  the  proposed  legal  actkM%  mpgns  to  be  ^  le- 
sult  of  a  fixed  business  policy,  which  is  not  only  neoeswy  to  the  success  of 
any  business,  but  which  is  frdr  and  just  as  well. 

50a.  Write  the  letter  to  Schedule  A  debtors.  Do  not  assume  that  these 
debtors  are  either  unwilling  or  unable  to  pay.  Attribute  their  delinquency  to 
neglect  or  temporary  misfortune.  Let  this  be  moie  uigent  than  the  former 
letter  to  this  class,  but  do  not  yet  suggest  legal  proceecyags.  Refor  to  page  74 
for  frirther  informatkm  on  thb  subject 

51.  Mr.  Fidd^s  remittance  to  pay  note  due  to-day. 
51a.  Mr.  Hildreth's  reply  to  the  foregoing. 

52.  Note  carefully  the  conditions  upon  which  this  older  is  plaoed,  and  be 
very  definite  in  stating  them. 

53.  Second  letter  from  Mr.  Cheney. 

53a.  Mr.  Field's  reply  to  Mr.  Cheney  should  be  a  detaffled  statement  of 
everything  that  might  influence  the  latter  in  making  his  decision.  Remember 
this  is  a  business  proposition,  and  your  letter  should  contain  only  such  infor- 
mation as  would  appeal  to  a  business  man.  Your  peisonal  desiies  aie  wholly 
irrelevant  He  will  view  your  proposition  only  from  tibe  standpomt  of  a  prol^ 
itable  investment  Let  your  aigument  be  terae. 

54.  Mr.  Field's  letter  of  remittance. 


140  CORRESPONDENCE  FOR  PRACTICE 


55*  Mr.  Bfidcnbeckfiir^s  letter  of  raiitttaiioe* 

55a.  Mr.  Field's  letter  to  Mr.  Bridcnbecker. 

55b.  Write  Mr.  Bridenbecker^s  reply,  apologizing  for  the  inconvenience 
which  has  resulted  from  his  oversight. 

56.  Remember  in  writing  this  letter  that  Mr.  Field  is  a  profitable  customer 

of  the  Boston  Rubber  Co.,  and  that  the  promptness  with  which  he  receives  ^ 
their  shipments  is  an  important  factor  in  their  ftiture  trade  relations  with  him. 
To  manifest  no  interest  in  the  matter  simply  because  the  fault  is  with  the 
railroad  company  would  be  a  mistake. 

56a.  Write  the  letter  of  complaint  from  the  Boston  Rubber  Co.  to  the  Boston 
&  Albany  Raikoad  Ca  The  statemait  of  the  Boston  Rubber  Ca's  posltkm  as 
set  forth.in  exerdse  56  should  be  kept  in  mind  here.  Furnish  the  railroad 
company  with  every  detail  concerning  this  shipment ;  refer  to  former  com- 
plaints which  you  have  been  obliged  to  make,  and  ask  them  if  your  large  and 
frequent  shipments  are  not  entitled  to  more  careM  treatment.  Do  not  use 
the  language  of  the  book.  , 

57.  Mr.  Baldwin's  letter. 

58.  Note  all  of  the  faults  of  this  letter  and  carefully  rewrite. 

59.  Be  definite  in  stating  the  conditions  upon  which  this  order  is  based. 

60.  It  should  not  be  assumed  in  refusing  to  accept  this  shipment  of  shoes 
from  Moloney  Bros,  that  there  is  any  intention  on  their  part  to  impose  upon 
you.  Your  letter  shouM  be  a  firm  but  courteous  statement  of  your  position. 

6oa.  Write  the  reply  from  Moloney  Bros.  Co.  Ask  Mr.  Field  to  return 
the  case  of  shoes  or  state  that  you  have  sent  your  representative  to  adjust  the 
matter.  Inasmuch  as  this  is  the  first  transaction  with  Mr.  Field,  Moloney 
Bros,  are  probably  in  doubt  whether  the  former  is  acting  in  good  fiuith  in 
refusing  this  shipment  Assume  this  attitude  in  writing,  but,  of  comsoi  do  not 
show  your  lack  of  confidence  by  anything  you  say  in  the  letter.  Remember, 
also,  that  you  are  desirous  of  retaining  Mr.  Field's  patronage. 

61.  Write  the  reply  from  Little  &  Co. 


XV.    POSTAL  INFORMATION 

The  Classification  of  Domestic  Mail  Matter  in  the  United 
States  is  as  follows : 

First  class  includes  all  written  matter,  all  matter  closed 
against  inspection,  and  all  matter,  though  printed,  which  has 
the  nature  of  actus^  and  personal  correspondence,  except  such 
specified  writing  or  printing  as  may  be  placed  upon  matter  of 
the  second,  third,  and  fourth  classes  without  increasing  the  rate. 

Second  class  includes  all  newspapers  and  periodicals  which 
bear  the  authorized  statement,  "Entered  at  the  post  oSaio^if^ 
second-class  mail  matter." 

Third  class  includes  all  printed  matter  not  having  the  nature 
of  actual  personal  correspondence,  except  newspapers  and  perir 
odicals  belonging  to  the  second  class. 

Fourth  class  includes  all  merchandise  and  all  oth^  matter 
not  comprehended  in  the  first,  second,  and  third  classes. 

Note.  —  Matter  of  a  higher  class  inclosed  with  matta-  ol  a  loner 
subjects  the  whole  package  to  the  higher  rate. 

Wliat  constitiitM  Third-dats  Matt^ ;  Printed  Matter  Defined.  — 

Printed  matter  is  the  reproduction  upon  paper  by  any  process, 
except  handwriting  and  typewriting,  of  words,  letters,  characters, 
figures,  or  images,  or  any  combination  thereof,  not  having  the 
character  of  actual  personal  correspondence.  Matter  produced 
by  the  photographic  process  (including  blue  prints)  is  printed 
matter. 

Circolart. — A  circular  is  defined  by  law  to  be  a  printed  letter 

which,  according  to  internal  evidence,  is  being  sent  in  identical 
tenns  to  several  persons.  A  circular  may  bear  a  written,  type- 
written, or  hand-stamped  date,  name  and  address  of  the  person 
addressed  and  of  the  sender,  and  corrections  of  mere  tyfographi- 
-  ce^t  errors. 

HI 


142  POSTAL  mFORMATIOIf 

Where  a  name  (except  that  of  the  addressee  or  sender)^  date 
(other  than  that  of  the  circular),  figure,  or  anything  else  is 
written,  typewritten,  or  hand-stamped  in  the  body  of  the  circular 
for  any  other  reason  than  to  OMrrect  a  goiuine  typographical 
error,  it  is  subject  to  postage  at  the  first-class  (letter)  rate, 
whether  sealed  or  unsealed.  There  is  this  exception,  however: 
if  such  name,  date,  or  other  matter  is  hand-stamped,  and  not 
of  a  personal  nature,  the  character  of  the  circular  as  such  is  not 
changed  thereby. 

Reproductions  or  imitations  of  handwriting  and  typewriting 
obtained  by  means  of  the  printing  press,  neostyle,  hectograph, 
electric  pen,  or  similar  process  will  be  treated  as  third-class 
matter,  provided  they  are  mailed  at  the  post  office  window  or 
c^her  depository  designated  by  the  postmaster  in  a  minimum 
number  of  twenty  perfectly  identicaly  unsealed  copies  separately 
addressed.  If  mailed  in  a  less  quantity,  they  will  be  subject  to 
the  first-class  rate. 

Wrapping  of  Mail  Matter.  —  Second-,  third-,  and  fourth-class 
matter  must  be  so  wrapped  or  enveloped  that  the  contents 
may  be  examined  easily  by  the  postal  officials.  When  not  so 
wrapped,  or  when  bearing  or  containing  writing  not  authorized 
by  law,  the  matter  will  be  treated  as  of  the  first  class. 

UamailaUe  Matter.  —  Unmailable  domestic  matter,  that  is, 
matter  which  is  prohibited  admission  to  the  mails  ui|dar  any 
circumstances,  includes : 

1.  All  matter  illegibly,  incorrectly,  or  insufficiently  addressed. 

2.  All  first-clasS|  third-class  (except  a  single  book),  and  fourth- 
class  matter  weighing  over  four  pounds. 

3.  Poisons,  explosives,  and  the  like. 

4.  Libelous,  defamatory,  threatening,  or  obscene  matter. 

Note.  —  A  postal  card  with  a  statement  of  account  written  thereon,  or  a 
legal  notice  that  taxes  are  due,  or  about  to  become  due,  may  be  transmitted 
in  the  mails  when  such  statement  or  notioe  does  not  contain  anytlnng  reflect- 
ing injuriously  upon  the  conduct  or  character  of  a  perM>n,  or  a  threat  <tf  any 

kind,  or  any  other  matter  forbidden  by  law. 

5.  All  matter  concerning  any  lottery,  so-called  gift  concern, 
or  other  enterprise  of  chance,  or  concerning  schemes  devised 


PREPAYMENT  OF  POSTAGE 


HI 


for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  money  or  property  under  false 
pretenses. 

6.  It  is  not  permissible  to  write  upon  third-  or  fourth-class 
matter  or  its  wrapper,  or  to  print  or  write  upon  second-class 
matter  or  its  wrapper,  directions  relative  to  the  delivery  thereof 
inconsistent  with  the  postal  regulations;  consequently  directions 
to  deliver  to  some  indefinite  address,  as  to  a  Druggist"  or 
"Physician,"  if  the  matter  is  undeliverable  to  the  addressee, 
must  in  all  cases  be  disregarded  by  the  postmast^  at  the  office 
of  address.    Matter  so  addressed  is  held  to  be  unmailable. 

Postage  Rates  on  domestic  matter  are  as  follows : 

First  Class.  —  Rate,  2  cents  for  each  ounce  or  fraction.  Limit 
of  weight,  4  pounds.  United  States  postal  cards,  i  cent  each  \ 
post  cards,  i  cent  each. 

Second  Class.  Unsealed.  —  Rate,  i  cent  for  each  4  ounces  or 
fraction.    Full  prepayment  required.    No  limit  of  weight 

Third  Class.  Unsealed,  —  Rate,  i  cent  for  each  2  ounces  or 
fraction.  Full  prepayment  required.  Limit  of  weight»^4  pQunds, 
except  it  is  a  suigle  book. 

Fourth  Class,  Unsealed.  —  Rate,  I  cent  for  each  ounce  or 
fraction,  except  seeds,  bulbs,  nx^  scions,  and  plants,  which 
are  i  cent  for  each  2  ounces  or  fraction.  Full  prepayment  re- 
quired.   Limit  of  weight,  4  pounds* 

Prepayment  of  Postage.  —  Postage  on  all  domestic  mail  matter 
must  be  prepaid  in  full  at  the  time  of  mailing  by  stamp3  iLffixed* 
except  as  follows : 

{a)  Letters  of  United  States  soldiers,  sailors,  and  marines, 
when  marked  Soldier's  letter,''  Sailor's  letter,"  or  Marine's 
letter,"  as  the  case  may  be,  and  signed  thereunder  by  a  com- 
missioned officer  with  his  name  and  official  designation. 

(b)  A  letter  bearing  only  a  special  delivery  stamp.  This  pro- 
vision applies  to  special  delivery  letters  only. 

{c)  First-class  matter,  prepaid  one  full  rate,  2  cents. 

Note.  —  In  each  of  the  above  eases  the  matter  wQI  be  forwarded  to  destina- 
tion and  the  unpaid  postage  collected  on  delivery  at  single  rates  only.  The 
only  kind  of  domestic  mail  matter  that  is  returnable  to  the  sender  or  that  will 
be  forwarded  from  one  post  office  to  another  without  additional  postage  ior 


144  POSTAL  INFORMATION' 

such  service,  when  undeliverable,  is  letters  and  other  first-daw  matter  pit* 
paid  one  full  rate  (2  cents).  Official  matter  maUed  under  penalty  envelope 
or  frank  and  double  postal  cards  wiU  be  returned  without  additional  postage, 
but  not  single  postal  cards  or  post  cuds. 

{d)  Matter  of  the  third  and  fourth  classes  mailed  in  quanti- 
ties  of  not  less  than  two  thousand  identical  pieces  upon  which 
postage  is  paid  in  money.  For  information  concerning  the 
regulations  governing  such  mailings,  inquuy  should  be  made 
of  the  postmaster. 

Note.  —  Postage-due  stamps,  internal  revenue  stamps,  or  embossed  stamps 
cut  from  stamped  envelopes,  or  stamps  cut  from  postal  cards  will  not  be 
accepted  in  payment  of  postage. 

{e)  In  large  cities  and  adjacent  districts  of  dense  population, 
having  two  or  more  post  offices  within  a  distance  of  three  miles 
of  each  other,  any  letter  mailed  at  one  of  such  offices,  and 
addressed  to  a  locality  within  the  delivery  of  another  of  such 
offices,  which  shall  have  been  inadvertently  prepaid  at  the  drop 
or  local  letter  rate  of  postage  only,  may  be  forwarded  to  its 
destination  through  the  proper  office,  charged  with  the  amount 
of  deficient  postage  to  be  collected  (m  delivery. 

What  is  Domestic  Mail  Matter.  —  Domestic  mail  matter  iur 
eludes  all  matter  deposited  in  the  mails  for  local  delivery,  or  for 
trannnission  from  one  place  to  another  within  the  United  States, 
or  to  or  from  or  between  the  possessions  of  the  United  SUtes.  ; 

Porto  Rico  and  Hawaii  are  included  in  the  term  "  United 
States"  as  used  by  the  postal  authorities.  The  Philippine 
archipelago,  Guam,  Tutuila  (including  all  adjacent  islands  of 
tiie  Samoan  group  which  are  possessions  of  the  United  States), 
and  the  canal  zone  are  included  in  the  term  "  possessiims  of  the 
United  States.''  The  term  "canal  zone"  includes  all  the  ter- 
ritory purchased  from  Panama,  embracing  the  "  canal,  zone  " 
proper  and  the  islands  m  the  Bay  of  Ftoama  named  Perico, 
Naos,  Culebra,  and  Flamenco. 

Domestic  rates  of  postage  also  apply  to  mail  matter  sent  from 
the  United  States  to  Canada,  Mexico,  Cuba,  and  the  United 
States  postal  agency  at  Shanghai,  China. 


% 


CUSTOMS  DUTIES 


145 


^op  Letters  -  A  "  drop  "  letter  is  one  addressed  for  delivery 
at  the  offiee  where  mailed.  ^ 

"^"^^^^^  letterK^mer  offices,  or  at  offices  which 

Sh^  "^"^    "^'■"^  ^'^^  '^^"^^^y  has  been  esta^ 

hshed,  and  the  persons  addressed  can  be  served  by  rural  free 

LT^*"  T  the  rate  of  2  ..L  for 

ounce  or  fraction  thereof. 

When  mailed  for  delivery  at  post  offices  where  the  letter- 
^er  servKe  is  not  established,  or  at  offices  where  the  patrons 
«n  not  be  served  by  rural  free  deUvery  carriers,  the  r^is  i 
cent  for  each  ounce  or  fraction  thereof. 

There  is  no  drop  rate  on  mail  matter  other  than  letters. 

ttrj*"!?  ^  t°  the  writer 

at  some  other  post  office,  if  unclaimed,  can  not  be  resDected 
miless  it  has  been  prepaid  one  f uU  ntte  (2  cents)  of^ 

Foreign  Rates.  -  The  rates  of  postage  applicable  to  aU  foreign 
countries,  other  than  tho«  to  which  the  domestic  rate  apS 
(see  p.  144),  are  as  follows  : 

Cbhis 


Letters,  for  each  half  ounce  or  fraction  of  half  ounce  .  , 

Single  postal  cards  (including  souvenir  cads),  eadi  '  *  '  , 

Double  postal  cards  (including aoaveair  cards),  each'  '  '  '  ! 

ounces  orir.,^on,^:.r^i'  \  \ 
^-wnmetml  paper,  for  the  first  10  ounces  or  less 

And  for  each  additional  2  ounces  or  fraction  thereof  '  *  *  f 

Samples  of  merchandise,  for  the  first  4  ounces  «r  *  '  , 

And  for  each  additional  a  ounces  or  ftaction  thereof  *  *  i 


Custom.  I)utto..-- Articles  of  merchandise  are  not  excluded 
from  the  mails  for  foreign  countries  because  they  may  be  liable 
to  customs  duties  in  the  countries  to  .which  they  are  addressed. 
Customs  duties  can  not  be  prepaid  by  the  senders  of  dutiable 
articles ,  they  will  be  collected  of  add««ee.  if  the  articles  are 
aehverecL  > 

Dutiable  articles  forwarded  to  the  Unit^  States  from  foreign 
countries  are  deUvered  to  addressees  at  post  offices  of  destim- 
tkm  upon  compl^nce  with  certain  conditions  and  the  payniwt 
of  the  duues  levied  thereon. 

COM.  COKUirONOKNCB— 10 


146 


POSTAL  INFORMATIOI^ 


Delivery  of  Mail  Matter.  Addnss.  —  Mail  matter  should  be 
addressed  Jegibly  and  completely.  The  name  of  the  addressee, 
the  post  office,  and  the  state  must  be  ^vcn.  If  the  addressee 
resides  in  a  city  havii^^  free  deUvary,  the  house  number  and 
street,  or  the  post  office  box,  if  known,  should  be  given.  If  th^ 
addressee  resides  on  a  rural  free  delivery  route,  the  number  of 
the  route,  if  known,  should  be  given. 

Transie7it,  —  Letters  addressed  to  persons  temporarily  so- 
journing m  a  dty  where  the  free  delivery  system  is  in  opera- 
tion  should  be  marked  "Transient"  or  General  delivery/'  if 
not  addressed  to  a  street  and  number,  or  smne  other  designated 
place  of  delivery. 

Return  Notices.  —  To  secure  return  in  case  of  non-delivery 
because  of  misdirection,  insufficient  payment  of  postage,  or 
other  causes,  the  sender's  name  should  be  written  or  printed 
in  the  upper  left-hand  comer  of  the  mail  matter. 

First-class  matter  indorsed    After  days,  return  to  

 ,  if  not  deliverable,"  will  be  returned  at  the  expuration  of 

the  time  indicated  on  the  envelope  or  wrapper.  If  no  time  is 
set  for  return,  the  matter  will  be  returned  at  the  expiration 
of  thirty  days.  The  sender  has  the  right  to  lengthen  or  shorten 
the  time  set  by  subsequent  direction  to  the  postmaster,-  but  the 
matter  must  remain  m  the  post  office  for  delivery  at  least  three 
days.  Unclaimed  letters  bearing  the  card  of  a  hotel,  school,  col- 
lege, or  other  public  institution  which  has  evidently  been  printed 
upon  the  envelopes  to  serve  as  a  mere  advertisement,  will  not 
be  returned  to  the  place  designated  unless  tliere  is  also  a  request 
Airefor. 

The  sender  of  second-,  third-,  and  fourth-class  matter  which 
is  not  of  obvious  value  can  cause  a  notice  of  non-delivery  to  be 
sent  to  him  by  placing  thereon  the  following  request :  "  If  not 

delivered  within  days,  postmaster  will  please  notify  ^, 

who  will  provide  retuwi  postage." 

How  to  recall  Mail  Matter.  — The  sender  may  recall  mail 
maitter  by  complying  with  certam  regulations  that  have  been 
established  by  the  post  office  department.  Aese  regulations 
require  that  all  applications  for  the  recall  of  mail  must  be  made 


SPECIAL  DELIVERY  %. 

♦  m 

■  k 

to  the  postmaster  at  the  maiUng  office  on  a  blank  pjrovided  for 
that  purpose.  Separate  blanks  are  provided  for  recall  before 
dispatch  and  after  dispatch.  The  application  for  recall  before 
dispatch  must  contain  the  following  information :  whofi  mailed, 
where  mailed,  how  addressed,  the  content  of  the  return. card,  a 
description  of  the  envelope,  the  amount  of  postage  prepaid, 
together  with  a  statement  of  the  reasons  why  the  applicant 
desures  to  recall  the  matter  in  question.  The  application  for 
recall  after  dispatch  must  contain,  in  addition  to  the  forgoing 
information,  an  agreement  on  the  part  of  the  applicant  pro- 
tect the  postmaster  from  any  and  all  claims  made  against  him 
for  the  return  of  such  mail  matter,  and  to  indemnify  him  fully  f 
any  loss  he  may  sustain  by  reason  of  such  action.  The  sender 
must  also  deposit  with  the  postmaster  a  sum  sufficient  to  cover 
all  expenses  incurred,  and  he  must  agree  to  deliver  to  him  the 
envelope  or  wrapper  of  the  mail  matter  recalled.  A  description 
of  the  mail  matter  is  telegraphed  to  the  postmaster  at  the  place 
contained  in  the  address,  or  to  the  railway  postal  clerk  in  whose 
custody  the  matter  is  known  at  the  time  to  be,  with  a  request  to 
return  it  On  receipt  of  such  request,  the  postmaster  or  postal 
clerk  will  return  the  matter  desired. 

All  applications  for  the  recall  of  any  article  of  mail  matter, 
together  with  proofs  submitted  therewith,  the  sender's  receipt 
for  such  matter,  and  the  envelope  or  wrapper  in  which  it  was 
inclosed  must  be  carefully  filed  at  the  mailing  office.  The  niail 
must  not  be  delayed  or  the  business  of  the  post  office  i^ided 
in  order  to  search  for  mail  matter  desired  to  be  withdrawn. 

Special  Delivery.  —  A  special  delivery  stamp,  in  addition  to 
the  lawful  postage,  secures  the  immediate  delivery  of  any  piece 
of  mail  matter  at  any  United  States  post  office  within  the  letter- 
carrier  limits  of  free  delivery  offices,  and  within  a  one^ile  Umit 
ofemy  other  post  office.  This  can  be  effected  only  by  the  use  of 
the  special  delivery  stamp. 

Hours  of  delivery  are  from  7  a.m.  ton  p.m.  at  all  free  delivery 
offices,  and  from  7  a.m.  to  7  p.m.  at  all  other  offices,  or  until 
after  the  arrival  of  the  last  mail  at  night,  provided  that  is  not 
later  than  9  p.m.    Special  delivery  mail  must  be  delivered  on 


148 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


Sundays  as  well  as  on  other  days,  if  the  post  office  is  open  on 

Sundays. 

If  special  delivery  matter  fails  of  delivery  because  there  is  no 
person  at  the  place  of  address  to  receive  it,  the  matter  is  re- 
turned to  the  post  office  and  delivered  in  the  ordinary  mail.  ^ 

Special  delivery  matter  may  be  forwarded,  but  is  not  entitled 
to  special  delivery  at  the  second  office  of  address  unless  for-  . 
warded  on  a  general  forwarding  request  before  attempt  at  de- 
livery has  been  made  at  the  post  office  of  original  address. 

Rural  letter  carriers  are  required  to  deliver  special  delivery 
mail  to  the  residences  of  patrons  of  their  routes,  if  they  live 
within  one  mile  of  such  routes.  Special  delivery  matter,  ad- 
dressed to  patrons  of  rural  free  delivery  who  reside  more  than 
one  mile  from  the  routes,  will  be  placed  in  the  box  of  the  ad- 
dressee in  the  same  manner  as  ordinary  mail* 

A  special  delivery  stamp  does  not  give  to  a  piece  of  mail 
matter  any  security  other  than  that  given  to  ordinary  mail 
matter. 

Registry  System.  —  Registered  mails  reach  every  post  office 
in  the  world.  The  system  insures  safe  transit  and  correct 
delivery. 

In  case  of  loss,  the  sender  or  owner  of  a  registered  parcel,  pre- 
paid at  the  letter  rate  of  postage,  mailed  at  and  addressed  to  a 
United  States  post  office,  is  indemnified  for  its  value  up  to  $25. 

Valuable  letters  and  parcels,  and  those  which  the  sender 
wishes  positively  to  know  have  been  correctly  delivered,  should 
be  registered. 

The  registry  fee  is  8  cents  for  each  separate  letter  or  parcel, 

in  addition  to  the  postage,  both  to  be  fully  prepaid  with  pgstage 
stamps  attached  to  the  letter  or  parcel  The  registration  fee  is 
the  same  on  foreign  as  on  domestic  mail. 

Any  piece  of  mail  matter  may  be  registered  at  any  post  office 
or  station  thereof,  and  by  any  rural  free  delivery  carrier.  In 
residential  dis^tricts  of  cities,  letters  and  packages  of  first-class 
matter  that  are  not  cumbersome  on  account  of  size,  shape,  or 
weight,  can  be  registered  by  letter  carriers  at  the  house  door^ 
as  safely  as  if  brought  to  the  post  office. 


POSTAL  MONEY  ORDERS 


149 


Advantages  of  registering  Mail.  —  A  receipt  is  given  the 
sender  for  every  piece  registered.  A  second  receipt  from  the 
addressee  or  his  authorized  agent,  acknowledging  delivery,  is 
returned  to  the  sender  in  every  case,  without  extra  charge. 
This  receipt  is,  under  the  law,  prima  facie  evidence  of  delivery. 

Note.  —  If  the  artide  is  addressed  to  a  foreign  country,  no  receipt  from 

the  addressee  is  returned  to  the  sender  unless  the  words  "Return  receipt 
demanded  are  written  or  stamped  across  the  £cice  of  the  letter  or  parceL 

In  case  of  loss  of  a  valuable  registered  letter  (or  package  pre> 
paid  at  the  letter  rate),  the  sender  should  make  application  for 
indemnity  to  the  postmaster  at  the  office  where  the  piece  was 

mailed. 

Registered  mail  is  deliverable  only  to  the  addressee  or  upon 
his  written  order.  The  sender  may,  however,  restrict  delivery 
to  the  addressee  in  person  by  indorsing  upon  the  envelope 
or  wrapper  the  words  ''Deliver  to  addressee ' '  The  words 
"Personal"  or  Private  "  do  not  so  restrict  delivery.  Persons 
applying  for  registered  mail,  if  unknown,  will  be  r^uired  to 
prove  their  identity. 

Registered  mail  will  be  forwarded  upon  the  written  or  tele- 
graphic order  of  the  addressee,  subject  to  the  usual  regulations 
respecting  the  prepayment  of  postage.  No  additional  registry 
fee  is  chargeable  for  forwarding  or  returning  registered  matter. 

Postal  Money  Orders.  —  Postal  money  orders  may  be  obtained 
at  or  paid  at  more  than  4PfiOO  money-order  offices  in  the  United 
States,  and  may  be  drawn  on  post  offices  in  more  than  50 
foreign  countries. 

Orders  may  be  drawn  upon  the  post  office  at  which  issued, 
and  are  therefore  available  for  local  use  in  settlement  of  accounts, 
as  well  as  for  remittances  to  other  points  in  the  United  States  or 
to  foreign  countries.  Lists  of  the  countries  exchanging  money 
orders  with  the  United  States  are  exhibited  at  post  offices 
transacting  international  money-order  business. 

Fggs.  —  For  domestic  money  orders  the  charge  is  from  3  cents 
to  50  cents,  in  addition  to  the  amount  of  the  order,  and  these 
•  rates  apply  to  orders  payable  in  Canada,  Cuba,  Newfoundland, 


POSTAL  INFORMATION 


Barbados,  and  some  other  Britidi  West  Indies,  the  Philippines, 

Tutuila,  and  the  United  States  Postal  Agency  at  Shanghai 
(China) ;  for  international  money  orders  the  cha^e  is  from  8  to 
50  cents  to  some  countries,  and  from  10  cents  to  $1.00  to  others. 

No  single  order  will  be  issued  tor  more  than  jlioo.oa  Wben^ 
a  larger  sum  than  j^iocoo  is  to  be  sent,  additional  orders  may 
be  obtained. 

Indorsements.  — More  than  one  indorsement  on  a  money  order 

is  prohibited  by  law.  One  or  more  additional  names,  however, 
may  be  written  upon  the  back  of  orders  for  the  purpose  of  identi- 
fication of  payee,  or  guaranty  of  genuineness  of  signature  of 
the  payee  or  indorsee.  The  stamp  impressions  which  banks 
ordinarily  place  on  money  orders  left  with  or  sent  to  them  for 
collection  are  not  regarded  as  indorsements  transferring  owner- 
ship of  the  orders  or  within  the  meaning  of  the  statute  which 
prohibits  more  than  one  indorsement. 

A  domestic  money  order  may  be  repaid  at  the  office  of  issue 
within  one  year  from  the  last  day  of  the  month  of  its  issue. 


/ 


INDEX 


Abbreviations,  of  titles,  i8 ;  of  states  and 

possessions,  51. 

Acknowledging  orders,  59. 

Address  —  Introductory,  content,  16; 
form,  19  ;  relative  position,  10 ;  illus- 
trations, 19-20;  exercises,  23.  Out- 
side, adequateness,  48  ;  content,  48  ; 
form,  48-49  ;  illustrations,  49-52 ; 
punctuation,  50;   exercises,  53. 

Application,  letters  of,  85;  iliustratioDS, 
S^7;  exercisesy  88. 

Bill  of  exchange  (see  draft). 

Body  of  letter,  mechanical  ^form,  24 ; 

pafagniphiii&  %^^  topical  arrange- 

ment,  24;  wordings  33. 
Brcfity,  33.  ^ 

Cabkgrami,.  104 ;  exercises,  109. 

use  of,  in  salutation,  21 ;  in  com- 
plimentary close,  27 ;  in  letters  order- 
ing goods,  58. 
Certificate  of  deposit,  66. 
Check,   personal,   64 ;   certified,   65 ; 

cashier's,  66. 
Circular  letters,  98  ;  exercises,  101-103. 
Circulars,  defined,  141. 
Qearness,  35. 
Code  numbers,  97. 
Code  words,  105. 
Coherence,  40. 
Collection  and  exchange,  67. 
Completeness,  36. 

Complimentary  close,  content,  25  ;  con- 
Tentional  forms,  25 ;  phrases  pre- 
ceding, 25  ;  relative  position,  10  ; 
illustrations,  pnnctnation,  27;  exer- 
cises, 31. 

CoRespondence,  filing,  112;  handling, 

112;  indexing,  115. 
CoficipoiideBts,  contract  relations  o(  iia 
Coutety*  42 ;  titles  q(  16-17. 


Credits  and  collections,  73. 
Customs  duties,  145. 

Date,  importance  of,   13-14;  relative 

position,  10  ;  form,  13  (see  heading). 
Dead  Letter  Office,  letters  that  go  to,  48. 
Delivery  of  mail  matter,  address,  tran 

sients,  return  notices,  146. 
Draft,  how  drawn,  63  ;   illustrated,  64 ; 

indorsed,  63,  71 ;  use  of,  in  remitting, 

67. 

Drop  letters,  145. 
Duplicating,  121. 


Envelope,  color  and  quality,  50 ; 

ing  letter  in,  47  ;  sealing,  53 ;  ad- 
dressing, 47-49 ;  illttstratioiis»  49-52 ; 
self-addressedy  stamped,  53;  exer- 
cises, 53. 

Exactness,  38. 

Exchange,  67. 

Exerdses,  review  under  beading,  address^ 
salutation,  and  complimentary  doae^ 
31 ;  based  on  the  narrative,  136- 
140. 

Filing  correspondence,  1 12. 

Folding  a  letter,  46. 

Form  letters,  97;  exercises,  101-103. 


Handling  correspondence,  1 12. 

Heading,  content,  form,  13; 
position,  10 ;  illustrations, 
punctuation,  15;  exercises, 


relative 

H-15  J 
16. 


Inclosures,  69. 

Indexing  correspondence,  geographical 
index,  115;  numerical  system,  116; 
card  index,  117  ;  by  topics^  I20u 

Indorsement,  letters  of,  90. 

Indocsement,  of  draft,  63;  ilhwtnited, 
71;  of  money  ocden^  150. 


«5i 


152 


INDEX 


Inserting  letters  in  envelopes,  manner  of, 
47- 

Introduction,  letters  of,  89  ;  exercises^  91. 
Introductory  address,  16-23. 
Invoice,  illustrated,  70;  use  of,  in  ac- 
knowkdgiDg  orden,  59. 

Letter,  outUiie  of,  10;  puts  of,  12;  word- 
ing of,  33 ;  body  o^  24 ;  folding  and 
addiessing,  46. 

Letter  p«per,  sizes  for  Iwsiiiess  use,  46. 

Mail  matter,  domestic  deSned,  144; 

classified,  141 ;  unmalkble,  14a ;  bow 

recalled,  146. 
Money  orders,  express,  63;  postal,  62, 

149.  ^ 

Narrative  of  transactions,  122-136. 

Official  letters,  complimentary  close  of,  27. 

Opening  letters,  manner  of,  112. 

Ordering  goods,  painstaking  care  in,  55  ; 
essential  points,  56  ;  form  illustrated, 
;  l^ur  manufacture,  58 ;  exer- 
cises, 59. 

Overweight  letters,  52,  143, 145. 

Paper,  sizes  for  business  use,  46. 
Parts  of  a  letter,  1 2  ;  outline,  10. 
Penmanship,  relating  to  signature,  29. 
Postage,  domestic  rates  o(  143 ;  foreign 

rates  of,  145  ;  prepayment  143. 
Postal  information,  I4i-I5a 
Promptness,  importance  o(  III. 
Ponctnation,  heading,  15  ;  salutation,  23; 

ccmplimentaiydosey  27;  «ddrcii»  5a 


Rates  of  postage,  143,  145. 

Recommendation,  letters  of,  92  j  illus- 
trated, 93  ;  exercises,  96. 

Registered  letter,  62. 

Registry  system,  14S. 

Remittance,  letters  containing,  61 ;  as  to 
currency  and  stamps,  61 ;  safe  metb« 
odS|  61-66 ;  appiication  of  payment, 
69  \  exercises,  7a  . 

Requesting  payment,  74 ;  illnitratlon,  78 ; 
eaercises,  Sou 

Salutation,  relative  position,  10;  form, 
20;  illustrations,  22-23 ;  punctuation, 
23 ;  exercises,  23. 

Sealing,  53. 

Shipping  directions,  56. 

Signature,  what  constitutes,  27 ;  of  firm 
or  company,  28  ;  relative  position,  10; 
of  one  acting  in  representative  capac- 
ity, 28-29  5  importance  of,  29 ;  illegi- 
ble, 29  ;  of  women,  30, 

Special  delivery,  147. 

Stamp,  where  placet!,  52  ;  return  postage^ 
53  ;  overweight  letters,  52. 

States  abbreviated,  51. 

Style,  what  constitutes,  33. 

Telegrams,  104 ;  exercises,  107. 

Terseness,  35. 

Titles,  of  courtesy  and  distinctioni  16; 

al]A>reviatioiis  o^  18-19. 
Transfer  cases»  121. 
Transients,  lioir  to  address,  49^  146. 

Wording  of  a  letter,  33-45. 
Wrapping  of  mail  mattery  142. 


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( 


Important  Text-Books  in  Rhetoric 

BY  ADAMS  SHERMAN  HILL 

Boy Istoo  PtrafcMMT  off  Bhotofio  ond  Onitaty  is  Hofwrd  Onlvoiolljr 


BEGINNINGS  OF  RHETORIC  AND  COMPOSITION  .  $1^ 

llik  book  is  desigiied  primarily  to  meet  the  needs  ol  pupils  in  sec* 
ondary  schools  who  are  learning  to  express  themselves  with  the  pen ; 
at  the  same  time  it  contains  so  much  information  that  is  new  in 

presentation  and  permanent  in  value  that  it  is  well  adapted  to  more 
mature  minds.  Recognizing  the  fact  that  these  needs  can  not  be 
adequately  supplied  by  treatises  on  the  theory  or  the  science  of 
rhetoric,  by  cut  and  dried  methods  of  instruction,  or  by  diagrams, 
skeleton  essays,  or  other  mechanical  devices,  this  work  aims  rather 
to  stimulate  the  pupils  to  put  their  natural  selves  into  all  that  they 
write.  It  helps  than  to  temove  the  many  obstacles  that  lie  between 
thought  and  expression  and  shows  the  young  writer  how  to  present 
what  he  has  to  say  in  the  best  English  within  his  reach  ami  in  the 
form  best  adapted  to  his  purpose.  No  supplement  with  exercises  is 
required  in  connection  with  this  work,  as  the  book  is  complete  in 
itself.  Nearly  two  hundred  exercises  are  introduced  to  aid  in  the 
most  practical  way  those  who  are  traversing  the  ground  between 
school  grammar  and  advanced  rhetoric. 

FOUNDATIONS  OF  RHETORIC      .      .      .      .  $iM 

The  object  of  this  book  is  to  train  boys  and  girls  to  say  in  written 
language,  correctly,  clearly,  and  effectively,  what  they  have  to  say. 
It  takes  cognizance  of  faults  such  as  those  who  are  to  use  it  are 
likely  to  coounit,  either  fiom  ignorance  or  from  imitation  of  bod 
models,  and  of  merits  sach  as  are  .  within  their  reach.  It  gives  a 
minimum  of  space  to  technicalities  and  a  maximum  of  space  to 
essentials.  In  language  singularly  direct  and  simple  it  sets  forth 
fundamental  principles  of  correct  speaking,  and  accompanies  each 
rule  with  abundant  illustrations  and  examples,  drawn  from  practical 
sources.  It  gives  precisely  the  kind  of  training  which  young  minds 
need  to  enable  them  to  discriminate  between  good  and  bad  forms  of 
English. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  RHETORIC  $1  JO 

This  popular  work  has  been  almost  wholly  rewritten,  and  is  enlarged 
by  much  new  material.  The  treatment  is  based  on  the  principle 
that  the  function  of  rhetoric  is  not  to  provide  the  student  of  compo- 
sitkm  with  materials  for  thought,  nor  yet  to  lead  him  to  colti^nUe 
style  for  style's  sake,  bat  to  stimulate  and  train  his  powen  of 
expression — to  enable  him  to  say  what  he  has  to  say  in  appropriate 
language.  Deficiencies  that  time  has  disclosed  have  been  supplied, 
the  treatment  of  each  topic  adapted  to  present  needs,  and  the  book 
in  its  revised  form  has  been  made  more  serviceable. 


AMERICAN  BOOK  COMPANY 


HARTS  ESSENTIALS  IN 
AMERICAN  HISTORY 


FROM  THE  DISCOVERY 
TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY 

By  Albert  Bushhbli.  Hart,  LL-D.,  ProliMsor  of  History 

Harvard  University 

Half  klthrr,  Svo.,  631  pages,  with  maps  and  illustrations 

Price,  $1.50 

This  text-book  has  been  prepired  with  special  reference  to 
die  report  of  the  Committee  of  Serat,  which  recommended  that 
United  States  history  should  be  studied  in  the  fixmh  year  of 
the  high  school.     The  requirements  exacted  by  coUeges  for 

entrance  and  by  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of 
New  York  have  been  borne  in  mind  in  its  preparation. 

The  purpose  of  theVolume  is  to  present  an  adequate  descrip- 
tion of  all  essential  things  in  the  apbuUding  of  the  country,  and 
to  supplement  this  by  good  illastradons  and  maps*  Political 
geography,  being  the  backgroond  of  all  historical  knowledge,  is 
made  a  special  topic,  while  the  development  of  government,  fordgn 
relations,  the  diplomatic  adjustment  of  controversies,  and  social  and 
economic  conditions  have  been  duly  emphasized.  Much  attention 
u  paid  to  the  causes  and  results  of  our  various  wars,  but  only  the 
most  significant  battles  and  campdgns  have  been  described.  The 
book  aimi  to  make  distinct  the  character  and  public  service  of  some 
great  Americans,  brief  accotmts  of  whose  lives  are  gjven  in  qpedal 
sections  of  the  text. 

With  few  exceptions,  the  illustrations  are  all  pictures  of  acfnal 
objects,  and  have  been  chosen  with  great  care.  Besides  a  series  of 
general  maps  there  are  many  special  maps  illustrating  boundary  con- 
troverttes,  campaigns,  etc.  v  The  aids  to  the  teacher  include  care- 
fblly  prepared  topics  for  the  pupils'  study  and  collateral  icadiag» 
and  lists  of  references  to  selected  books. 


American  Boak  Company 

MBW  YORK  CINCINNATI  CHICAGO 


/ 


Manual  of  the  Constitution  of  the 

United  States 


%  ISRAEL  WARD  ANDREWS,  9.D.«  LUX  n 
Late  Prakkiit  of  Marietta  CoU^ft 

/^fset^  and  Revised  to  igoi  hy 
MOM  EH  MOKRIS,  LL.B.^  of  the  ancinnoH  Bar. 

CMi.  12mo,  431  paget  .     .     .     .     •      Price.  $li)0 

The  defdopment  of  Chrfl  Got ei  ament  in  tiie  United  Statea  during 
the  past  twenty-fiTe  years  has  rendered  nooesaary  the  thoroogh  revision 

and  resetting  of  Andrews's  Manual  of  the  Constitution — a  text-hook 
which,  in  spite  of  numerous  competitors  published  during  the  past  decade, 
has  continually  increased  in  favor  with  teachers  and  students. 

The  book  has  been  brought  up  to  date  in  all  particulars — including 
af^pectally  more  recent  interpreutions  of  the  Constitutkm  by  the 
courts,  and  the  important  statutes  calculated  to  produce  permanent 
political  effect.  Tlie  utmost  care,  however,  has  been  taken  to  keep  to 
the  original  design  of  the  book;  and  those  familiar  with  the  work  will 
find  that  no  violence  has  been  done  to  its  original  character. 

Andrews's  Manual  grew  out  of  the  necessities  and  experiences  of 
the  class  room.  For  the  proper  instruction  of  the  student  in  the  im- 
portant subject  of  Civil  Government,  a  clear  exposition  of  the  great 
principles  of  the  Constitution  is  needed,  with  a  summary  of  the  legislative 
pfoviskms  in  which  they  have  been  embodied.  The  author  embodied  in 
ti^  work  that  kind— and,  so  far  as  space  woukl  alkm,  tiiat  aamni^ 
information  on  the  various  topics  which  aa  hitelligeiit  dtiaan  would 
desire  to  possess. 

As  the  value  of  a  work  of  this  kind  depends  in  large  measure  upon 
its  accuracy,  it  is  proper  to  say  that  in  nearly  every  instance  the  state- 
ments touching  the  legislation  or  other  action  of  the  government  have 
baen  taken  from  cvffidal  pobUcationa. 


Qfus  smt^frepaid^  to  any  address  on  receipt  of  price    HU  Publislurt : 

American  Book  Company 

New  Yoffli  #  Cincinnati  •  Chicago 


Astronomy 


NEWCOMB'S  ELEMENTS  OF  ASTRONOIWlY 

Cloth,  12mo.  240  pages.    Illustrated  .      .  $1.00 

By  SiMOH  Nbwcomb,  Ph.D.,  LL.D.,  Late  Professor  of  Mathe- 
nuttics  and  Astronomy,  Johns  Hcmldns  University,  and  formerly 
Senk>r  Professor  of  Mathematks,  United  IStates  Navy. 

This  volume  has  been  prepared  for  use  in  H%h  Schoote  and 
College  Preparatory  Scho(^.    The  facts  and  laws  of  the  science  have 

been  condensed  within  small  compass,  and  the  subject  is  so  presented 
that  but  little  of  formal  mathematics  is  necessary  in  its  study.  A  brief 
history  of  astronomy  is  included,  with  a  General  Index  for  convenient 
reference,  and  numerous  illustrations,  figures,  and  diagrams, 

TODD'S  NEW  ASTRONOMY 

Cloth,  12mo,  480  pages.    Illustrated  $1.30 

By  David  P.  Todd,  M.A.,  Ph.D.,  Professor  itf  Astrooony  and 
Director  of  the  Obaervatoiy,  Amherst  College. 

The  noteworthy  feature  which  distinguishes  this  from  other  text- 
books on  astronomy  is  the  practical  way  in  which  the  subject  is  taught, 
largely  by  laboratory  experiments  and  observation  methods.  By  laying 
more  stress  on  the  physical  than  on  the  mathematical  facts  of  astronomy 
the  author  has  made  the  book  deeply  interesting^.  The  marvelous  dis- 
coveries of  astronomy  in^  recent  years  are  all  described,  while  the 
numerous  original  and  ingeniously  devised  illustrations  and  diagrams 
form  an  important  feature  of  the  book. 

BOWEN'S  ASTRONOMY  BY  OBSERVATION 

Boards,  Quarto,  94  pages  $1.00 

By  Eliza  A.  Bowen. 

This  book,  unique  in  its  form  and  character,  and  original  in  its 
methods,  is  the  work  of  a  practical  teacher,  and  its  reasoning  always 
appeals  to  observation,  study,  and  thought.  Careful  directions  are 
given  when,  how,  and  where  to  find  the  heavenly  bodies  and  the 
Student  is  assisted  in  his  searcH  by  helpful  star-maps. 

STEELE'S  POPULAR  ASTRONOMY 

Cloth,  12mo,  349  pages.    Illustrated        .       .       .       .  $1.00 

Revised  and  Brought  Down  to  Date  by  Mabel  Loomis  Todd, 
author  of  "  Corona  and  Coronet,"  "  Total  Eclipses  of  the  Sun,"  etc. 
This  is  a  revision  of  Steele's  Descriptive  Astronomy,  and  while 
it  preserves  all  the  highly  desirable  features  of  the  original  work  it 
constitutes  substantially  a  new  book.    The  revision  incorporates  all  the 
changes  and  additions  made  necessaiy  by  the  rapid  advance  of  practical 
and  physical  astronomy  in  the  last  nfteen  years,  and  contains  a  large 
number  of  excellent  illustrations  and  dii^^rams,  together  with  several 
color  platea  and  a  syitem  of  star-mapa. 

*  ———————— 

C^piu  sent,  prepaid^  to  any  address  on  receipt  of  the  fnce. 

American  Book  Company 

Now  York  ♦  Cincinnati  •  Chic^o 

(i8o) 


Robinson's  New  Higher  Arithmetic 


FOR  HIGH  SCHOOLS,  ACADEMIES 

AND  MERCANTILE  COLLEGES 

Half  LMith«f,  627  fMifet      .  Price.  $1.00 


THIS  is  essentially  a  new  work,  intended  to  take  the 
place  of  the  "Progressive  Higher  Arithmetic"  in  the 
welt  known  Robinson's  Mathematical  Series,  and  to  furnish 
a  complete  modern  text-book  for  advanced  students  in 

arithmetic.  The  value  and  utility  of  Robinson's  Higher 
Arithmetic  has  been  proved  by  a  long  and  satisfactory  test 
in  the  best  schools  throughout  the  country.  While  the 
general  plan  and  characteristic  features  of  that  work  have 
been  preserved,  every  chapter  has  been  rewritten  and 
much  new  and  valuable  matter  has  been  added,  consider- 
ably enliurging  the  book,  and  making  it  completely  modem 
in  method  and  material. 

In  the  present  work,  much  space  and  attention  have 
been  given  to  the  latest  phases  of  mercantile  and  com- 
mercial transactions  in  the  countingroom,  the  manufac- 
tory, the  bank,  the  insurance  and  broker's  office,  the  lumber 
mill  and  ship-yard,  the  wharf  and  warehouse,  the  custom- 
house and  the  mint;  to  the  government  standards  of 
money,  weights,  and  measures  in  different  countries ;  and 
to  many  new  subjectil  in  scientific  and  practical  measure- 
ments, such  as  temperature,  specific  gravity,  standard 
time,  etc. 

The  treatment  is  characterized  by  a  wide  range  and 

logical  development  of  subjects,  by  clear  and  concise 

definitions,  exact  and  comprehensive  rules,  brief  and  accu- 
rate methods  of  operation,  and  by  the  large  number  and 
practical  character  of  the  examples — in  a  word,  scientific 
accuracy  is  combined  with  practical  utility^  throughout  the 
worit. 


Cf^S  of  Robinson  s  Ne-ai  Hi^^^her  Arithmetic  idll  he  sent  prepaid  to  any 
address^  on  receipt  of  the  frice^  by  the  Publishers  : 

American  Book  Company 

N«w  York  •  Cincinnati  ♦  Chicago 

(5«) 


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